Newfound Emotion: A Kodi & Dusty Romance Story!
by BaltoLuver63
Summary: After a restless and troubled sleep, Kodi goes for a midnight stroll only to find Dusty lying in an alley, badly beaten. As he takes her in and helps to care for her, the two slowly begin to fall in love...but her tormentor has other plans in mind.
1. Chapter 1: The Beaten

**Newfound Emotion: A Kodi and Dusty Romance Story!**

**By**: BaltoLuver63

**Subject**: Balto

**Rating**: PG-13 for some OOC (out of character) language

**Pairings**: KodiXDusty! Yeah!

**Summary**: After a restless and troubled sleep, Kodi decides to take a stroll through Nome after midnight…and discovers Dusty lying in an alleyway, badly beaten, bruised, and sobbing after being abused and then left to die by her tormentors. As he takes her home and helps nurse her back to health, he begins to get these strange feelings of light-headedness and peace of mind whenever he's around her…What could this mean? Could it mean Kodi is just growing closer to his already dear friend, or could it mean something more…? Could it perhaps mean…Kodi is…falling in love…with Dusty…?

**Dedications**:   
This piece is dedicated to my good friends and constant readers, **Ninetalesuk** and **Eagle205** (who, I might add, could possibly be considered the GOD of Balto Fanfiction!)! I couldn't have done this without your support my furry little friends! May you continue to ROCK OUT LOUD forever!

_**Chapter 1 ****  
****The Beaten**_

Kodi sighed and rolled over in the bed of straw where he slept nightly, brown eyes boring holes in the wall opposite him. His body, bathed in moonlight streaming in from an above window, insisted that he rest, that he was exhausted. Kodi couldn't have agreed more; he was exhausted. After all, who wouldn't be after pulling a sled nonstop through a driving blizzard for ten hours straight? "But who can sleep when your stupid head won't shut up and leave you alone?" he mumbled to himself, mind turning back to the dream again, the one about a pack of merciless wolves that he kept having over and over and over again, like a videotape playing in an endless loop…

With another sigh, the rust-colored Husky closed his eyes in an effort to dispel the unwanted and unpleasant images, but this, as he himself quickly discovered, only heightened the problem; with his eyes closed, the vision became much clearer and more pronounced, the scene showing the wolves – there were only three this time around as opposed to the usual dozen or so – with their cold yellow eyes, shaggy dark brown coats and large white fangs. The trio chuckled cruelly as they encircled the crippled deer again, tongues lolling out of the red maws of their mouths as the sucked back long ropy streams of saliva from gaping jaws. Then, they pounced, all three growling and snarling, ripping and tearing at the poor defenseless animal before them, it's blood flying through the air to splash onto the snow, eyes rolling horribly…

Kodi's eyes snapped open as he realized he had dozed off, only to have the dream reoccur again. Heart pounding slightly in his chest, the young dog grumbled and rolled over again, closing his eyes, telling himself that it wasn't real, it was only a dream for God's sake! As he slipped into another doze, he saw them again, the wolves. But it was not the same. It was different this time. Now, there was no crippled deer with her leg trapped beneath a fallen tree. Now it was Dusty, the best friend he had ever had, and his body jerked spasmodically in his sleep as he heard her last frightened shriek, the words almost lost with the sheer magnitude of the cry.

"_KOOOOOODDDIIIIIIII!_"

For the final time that night, the young Wolf/Husky hybrid was startled awake, a small whine escaping his lips as he saw it over and over again, saw Dusty about to be eaten by the wolves, and he could not be still anymore and he got up. After getting shakily to his paws, he sucked down water from the dish close at hand, the cool liquid working wonders to sooth his rapidly beating heart and furiously racing mind.

Breathing heavily, he almost screamed when Kirby turned over and mumbled in his sleep across the room. Turning his gaze, he saw that worthy was still dreaming peacefully, as were the rest of the members of the small Mail-Dog team…except for one.

"Dusty…" he breathed, the simple exhalation of the name causing an understandably bad, but mercifully short rush of images. He looked over them again, his team, his friends, but couldn't find Dusty. "Probably had to do her 'necessary'…" he muttered quietly to himself. He looked out the window, and then back to his small pile of straw that served him as a bed. '_Screw this,_' he thought, shaggy head swinging gently from side to side. '_I think I'll go for a walk…Yeah, a walk that's it. Just what I need to calm myself down a little so I can actually get some sleep…_'

With his plan of action decided, Kodi carefully crept over the rest of his team and slipped out the doggie-door. Immediately the cold winter air rushed into his lungs, refreshing him wonderfully, his thick fur ruffled by the sudden blast of cool air. Flicking his gaze from side to side momentarily, he tried to decide where to go, then just said '_Screw it._' again and trotted off down the street with no real idea of where his paws were taking him. Buildings and shops passed by in a haze, but Kodi was too preoccupied with his most recent variation of his dream to notice. What did it mean, seeing Dusty? Surely nothing, of course: dreams rarely meant or had anything to do with the real world…But the detail of it…and the way she'd screamed his name…He shivered slightly, despite his naturally warming coat of fur.

He was suddenly interrupted from this internal interrogation of his subconscious by a soft, almost inaudible snuffling sound. He would have missed it entirely had he not recognized the sound for what it was; someone, somewhere very close by, was crying. Needless to say, Kodi did, for a moment, find this very odd. No one in his or her right mind would be out this late – well, with the exception of himself that was. Then he heard something else that would haunt him forever, right down to his dying day; someone laughed, a low, cruel, almost unearthly chuckle that made him shiver. The crying strengthened in response, and then there came a low piteous moan, followed by a sharp yelp of pain and fear.

The sound seemed to startle Kodi out of his trance, for he began to race down the street, twisting and turning, taking every shot-cut he knew in order to try and reach the steadily increasing sobs more quickly. So much pain and fear was in them that he felt his heart wretch inside his chest as he turned down a side street and knew by the sounds, that he was only a block away, maybe less. He quickened his pace to that of an almost all-out sprint and pushed forward.

As he rounded what turned out to be the last corner, he stopped, and had to fight with all his might and willpower to keep from merely screaming out in rage and horror. Lying on the snow, not ten feet before him, was Dusty. But not his Dusty, not the cheery, bright-eyed canine who filled every one of his days with laughter and happiness; this didn't even look like a _dog_.

Dusty was lying on her side, breath coming in ragged gasping hitches as she struggled to stay conscious. Her usually bright and cheerful eyes were now dull, full of pain and tears were streaming from them. Her glossy coat was now caked with dirt and blood from several bite and scratch wounds. One eye had swelled almost shut, the flesh puffed up around it presumably caused some vicious paw-strike. All in all, she looked like she'd been attacked by a Grizzly in a foul mood with a bad case of rabies.

Kodi was at her side in an instant, heart racing wildly. Who could've done such a thing, and to Dusty of all dogs? She'd never even growled at anyone, much less given anyone an excuse to abuse her like she'd been! Rage boiled up inside him as these thoughts and more flooded through his mind. '_I'll find whoever did this! Find them and rip them apart!_' he mentally snarled. '_The monster that did this doesn't even deserve a quick death!_'

Dusty's voice, little more than a croaky moan snapped him back to reality. "K…Kodi? Is…t-that you…?" she asked, and Kodi nearly broke down right then; he couldn't stand the way she sounded, with her usually proud and confident purr of a voice now reduced to a creaky rasp.

"Y-yeah Dusty. It's me, Kodi! I'm here, okay? Don't worry!" he involuntarily licked one of her dirty, blood and tear splattered cheeks.

"Oh…okay…" she trailed off and for a moment, Kodi was sure the worst had come to pass. Then, in a voice barley above a whisper, she asked; "Kodi…Am I…gonna die…?"

"No Dusty." He said, trying to calm his already quivering voice. "You'll be just fine! Who…who did this to you?"

"Bunch of…uncivilized mongrels…not like your dad…rude bunch of…idiots…" she replied, and smiled weakly. The small gesture made Kodi feel like his soul had cracked. "…They…wanted a…place…to stay…I told em'…dogs like them…aren't welcome…here…Told em' to…get out…They didn't…like that, so…they beat me up…and would've…r-…and would've r-…r-…" Grief and shame (not to mention sorrow and obviously extreme pain) overtook her and she started to cry. Cry? No, cry wasn't a strong enough word; bawl was more like it.

Kodi, overcome with grief for his friend – who had obviously undergone severe pain and humiliation – bent his head and licked the salty tears from Dusty's cheeks, their taste spliced with the putrescence of blood and dirt. Again, he felt that almost uncontrollable rage build up inside him. Dusty had been almost been raped! RAPED! He now wanted more than ever to hunt down whoever was responsible. '_I'd like to kill the wolf or the dog – or the **thing** – that did this!_' but such thoughts were not honorable and he pushed them away, turning his attention to the more important matter, that being his wounded and shaken friend.

He lay down next to her, pressing his furry body against hers in an effort to give what comfort he could, and began to gently clean and lick her wounds, murmuring soft and soothing nothings in order to quiet Dusty down a bit. At first, she whimpered in slight pain as his pink tongue sterilized the gashes he could reach, but after a few moments she quieted and let him do what had to be done. After perhaps ten to fifteen minutes, Kodi stood, moving gently so as not to cause Dusty any further pain.

"Kodi?" she said, slightly alarmed at his abrupt shift in position.

"It's okay Dusty, I'm just standing up…" he paused slightly, unsure of how to proceed exactly. "Dusty…do you think…can you walk?" He didn't want to rush her; moving her this early if her body still hadn't healed enough might make the damage longer lasting.

"I…don't know…let me try…" She replied, and with a series of strength of both spirit and body that left Kodi in temporary awe, she managed to roll over and push herself into a sitting position, although her breathing quickened to the point where it became little more than gasping hitches. She held this for a few seconds, then would've fallen face-first on the ground had in not been for Kodi, who cushioned her impact with his muscular chest and helped to steady her as well. She looked at him with her one good eye and he smiled sadly. "That…that was great Dusty…but I'd better give you a paw if we're going to make it back to house before…" he trailed off slightly, again unsure of himself and not wanting to make the moment any more awkward than it already was.

"Before…everyone else…gets up…and sees me…like this…?" she panted, raising her voice a bit at the end, turning the sentence into something that was almost a question.

"Yeah…" he replied, cheeks burning slightly. Dusty, in spite of the pain it must have caused her, nudged his snout with her paw.

"Hey…c'mon Kodi…what're you blushing about…?" she started to smile, but the smile turned into a grimace as a wave of pain tumbled through her body. "Ow…"

"Dusty! Are you okay?" Kodi asked, instantly chiding himself for asking such a stupid question.

"Yeah…my back…hurts a little…is all…Can we…go home now? I'm…a little tired…" she looked at him, eyes seeming almost to plead.

"Sure, you bet." He replied, and helped her to stand on all fours.

The actual process of movement was made slightly more difficult be the fact that Dusty had to lean on Kodi for support, meaning he had to carry almost double his own weight. However, he did this without complaint, and within the hour, the two of them had reached their Master's house and had gained the front porch.

"Wait here, okay?" Kodi told her breathlessly, stopping so that she could lean up against one of the outer walls as he went to the front door and began to scratch and whine. When that didn't work however, Kodi resorted to the big guns; he began to bark and howl in long baritone cries that brought his master to the door in a hurry. Despite her pain, Dusty felt a small shiver course its way down her back. '_Man…he's kind of cute when he barks like that…_' she thought. '_Wait…I didn't just think that did I? I mean, this is Kodi we're talking about here!_' She hadn't much time to think anything else before her owner came hurrying over, scooped her up in his arms and carried her into the house, muttering about calling a doctor…

**((()-()))**

15 minutes later, Kodi sat in the little back room that served as his sleeping quarters and stared bleakly around. The room, so quiet and peaceful when he had left in not two hours ago, was now buzzing with questions, most of which were directed at him. Kirby, Ralph and the rest were all eager to hear what all the commotion was about, so Kodi told them the whole terrible story; how he'd gone for a walk to clear his head and stumbled upon Dusty, broken and beaten in an alley. It took less than 5 minutes. He was surprised at how easily the worst kind of situations could be summarized. When he had finished, there was appalled silence in the room as the rest of the team tried to comprehend what had happened and (more importantly) why? Why to Dusty? No one could supply an answer.

Kodi sat, shifting restlessly every now and then; he couldn't stand being made to sit still! He wanted to see Dusty, to make sure she would be okay! Kirby, noticing this little change in Kodi's mood, padded over to where his friend sat in front of the closed door behind which Dusty was presumably being patched up. "Hey, don't worry," he said, nudging Kodi with his snout slightly. "She'll be fine! Didn't have anything more than a couple of scratches is all, so don't sweat it."

Kodi turned, face almost devoid of emotion. "Kirby, most of those 'scratches' were over _5 inches long_!" Noticing the way his friend flinched slightly at his tone, Kodi forced himself to calm down somewhat. "Hey," he said after a pause. "Sorry I snapped at you. It's just…I'm worried about Dusty is all…" he looked to Kirby, hoping to see understanding.

"Hey bro! It's okay! I know what you're going through! We're all worried about Dusty! Just try to remember you're not the only dog who cares, okay?" Kirby replied, a thin smile spreading across his face. "And try to get some sleep, you look awful."

Kodi returned the smile and turned his attention back to the door Dusty was behind as Kirby stood and walked over to converse with the others. None of them understood! It wasn't Dusty's physical condition that worried him the most – they'd been through worse; they were sled dogs after all – it was her psychological condition that was his main priority. He'd be surprised if Dusty didn't come out of this with some sort of lasting damage – she'd almost been raped for crying out loud – and that was what worried him and kept him at his station all through the rest of the night even as, one by one, the others dropped off into sleep again. "Oh Dusty…why did this have to happen to you?" he half-sighed, and continued to wait as the hours and minutes ticked slowly by…

**((()-()))**

4 to 5 hours later, Kodi was roused from his doze by the abrupt opening of the door and the slightly tense lowered-voice conversation going on between their Master and the Veterinarian, who had a small amount of blood on the rubber gloves, he wore. He shook his balding head and sighed looking over at the still motionless Kodi and five still-sleeping others. "How bad is she, Doc?" Their owner asked in a low murmur, genuine worry etched into his face.

The Doctor sighed again and rubbed at his temples. "Well…she's going to need about three weeks to heal, what with her throat injury and all. Also, she's got a sprained left forepaw in addition to God-knows how many other bruises and gashes." He switched his gaze to regard Kodi's owner again. "I don't know exactly what happened out there, but I can tell you this much; somebody – or something – beat the living hell out of that dog. Could be we've got a wolf problem on our hands…" He trailed off, looking thoughtfully out the window to the now steadily accumulating snow.

"Will…will she ever completely recover, do you think?" the owner asked, fidgeting slightly; Dusty was one of his best dogs, and he couldn't afford to lose her this soon when she was so young and strong.

"I don't know. It's like trying to predict the weather; you sometimes get lucky and guess right while other times, you're way off course. I can say for sure she'll recover from her physical injuries, but there might be damage done to her mind as well. So…we'll just have to wait and see…"

"Alright…thanks for coming on such short notice Doc."

"Hey, no problem! Anything for you so long as I get my monthly subscription to 'Modern Medical Marvels Monthly' on time!" They laughed softly as the owner escorted the Doctor out.

As soon as the door closed, Kodi got to his feet, padding into the adjoining room. He had to see Dusty! He had to make sure she would be okay! The rest of the team still slept peacefully.

The concerned hybrid crept silently into the room, making sure to give Dusty more than adequate space. She was lying on a large, soft red cushion in a large whicker basket, a soft blanket covering most of her body, but what he could see of her was covered in bandages and stitches. She whined softly in her drug-induced sleep and Kodi involuntarily licked her cheek again, causing her to moan slightly and roll over. '_Why do I keep doing that?_' he asked himself, and was startled when a small voice in the back of his head spoke up; '**_It's because you just love the way she tastes…_**' it whispered slyly.

Like any sensible dog would've done, Kodi told the voice to '_shut the freak up_' and lay down next to Dusty. He thought; '_Well, at least now I know my insomnia will be good for something. Now I'll be able to…stay up all…night and…make sure…Dusty's…all…right…_' His eyes slipped slowly closed for the last time that night, and he drifted off into lovely dreams of playing in the green meadows during spring and summer, trying to help Muk and Luk overcome their fear of water – something both he and his father had been unsuccessful at for the last three summers in a row.

In particular, however, he dreamed of someone else, someone very special. A female someone, with large blue eyes and a shiny gray coat…someone who laughed and yipped as they wrestled together in the grass…So, mostly, he dreamed of being with Dusty, and of all the fun they had and would have in future springs and summers. '_Dusty…_' he thought, the words echoing across the vast corridors of his mind as he dreamt. '_I'll avenge you…I promise…I'll make it so that you'll never have to be afraid of anyone or anything again…I'll protect you…I swear it…_' So thinking, Kodi and Dusty slept, each – although they didn't know it unless they could read minds – dreaming of each other…

**((()-()))**

**Author's Note**:

Um…yeah. Okay, so there's the first chapter! I really hope you guys like this one! I'm working REAL hard on it so please, be gentle! I know it really sucks and the whole idea's a bit cliche, but hey, give me some slack...please? Just looking for some feedback! How was it? Good? Bad? God-Awful? Let me know! I'll listen to everyone, regardless of opinion!

LoL,

BaltoLuver63


	2. Chapter 2: The Replacement

Chapter 2 

_**The Replacement**_

Kodi's eyelids fluttered slowly open, him staring groggily about the room. It took him a few moments to actually realize that he was in the back room, having apparently fallen asleep while watching over Dusty. He raised his head, letting out a long, loud yawn as he did so, and looked across to regard Dusty. He was surprised to find the basket empty, the blanket flowing over one side. It was the work of only a second to sniff and find that she had apparently gotten up to 'make a little room', judging from the way her scent stretched across and into the other room and (presumably) out the door.

Kodi's thoughts on Dusty were immediately swept away as he heard the tell-tale 'thud' and 'clomp' of his Master's boots as he descended the stairs to wake Kodi and the rest of the team for their job; delivering the mail both to and from Nome. '_Should I stay?_' Kodi asked, and then scolded himself for even dreaming of skipping out on work; he loved his job and wouldn't have missed a single day of it for the world. Still…

'_What about Dusty? Who's going to look after her while we're gone?_' another part of his mind argued, and Kodi was torn between the two. He wanted to work, to run, to feel the snow crunching underfoot and to taste the fresh air as he sucked in breath after breath as he and the others pulled. Equally as strong was his desire – hell, almost his _need_ – to stay and take care of Dusty.

A split second later his sled-dog instinct took control, insisting that he was being stupid, that Dusty was a big, strong dog and could look after herself and she didn't need Kodi watching over her all the time like some overprotective parent. Kodi agreed with this statement, yet he felt…

"Forget how you feel!" he suddenly snapped at himself. "You're a sled dog, darn it! And when your Master suits you up and tells you to mush, than you'll mush!" His lips stretched in a determined smile and he stood up, walking into the other room where the rest of his team had already been roused and was getting ready to be fitted to the harness by the Master. At his appearance, a chorus of greetings arose from the assembled dogs. Kirby walked up to him, usually calm yet eager face now carrying a hint of nervousness and anxiety. He surveyed Kodi with eyes that were shiny with anxious anticipation.

"How's Dusty? Is she gonna' be okay?" he asked with eyes that seemed to demand an affirmative answer from the still-not-completely-awake dog before him.

Kodi gave the clearly worried dog a comforting smile. "She's gone now, probably had to use the bathroom, but she slept like a baby the rest of the night." There was an almost audible sigh as the nervous stench reeking from the assembled canines instantly faded. "She's got a couple dings and scratches, but other than that she's fine." Kirby breathed a sigh of relief. Kodi gave him a slight tap on the top of his head with his long bush of a tail, and Kirby snapped back to reality just as the Master opened the front door and called the team out into the yard, where the bright burst of sunlight temporarily blinded them.

A few minutes later, the team was all ready to be suited up. The only thing that remained was for the master to actually strap them in their respective places in the line. They would be arranged in their usual formation…save for the fact that Dusty's traces would remain empty for the time being. The Master, having already though of a temporary solution for this problem, had walked a big albino Husky out and deposited him in Dusty's place. Kodi was a bit nervous, but determined to make the best of this, if only for the sake of his Team.

He turned his head and barked a greeting to the new dog replacement. "Hi! I'm Kodi!"

The albino canine only stared at him, acidic green eyes seeming almost to be searching Kodi's face...in truth, he almost seemed to be looking at Kodi as though he were a bug he wanted to squish.

In response to this, Kodi's face fell a bit. '_Oh no._' he mentally sighed. '_Looks like we've drafted a real_ friendly _dog._' "So…what's your name?"

"Forest." He replied automatically. Kodi's heart sank even lower.

Yet, despite this, he tried to act cheerful. "Well Forest, you're probably wondering why you're here…"

"My Master brought me here, that's all I need to know." He said shortly, in a tone colder than an icy blast of winter air.

Ralph spoke up; "Well, you see Forest, our friend Dusty was attacked by a bunch of wolves or wolf-dogs or something and we needed an extra set of helping paws while she's busy getting better." He offered Forest a kindly smile that the other did not return.

'_Oh crap._' Kodi mentally growled, brow furrowing the slightest bit. '_Why is it that whenever we need a replacement, they're always a big bully…_'

"So, your friend got beaten up did she?" he asked.

"Yeah," Kirby replied, eyes downcast. "I feel real sorry for her. After all she–"

"She must not be very strong if she was beaten by only one or two dogs at once." Forest interrupted with a slight sneer. "Maybe she should retire and become a house pet instead. Leave the work to those who –"

Kodi snapped.

"Shut up about Dusty!" he suddenly fumed, molten anger seeming to congeal throughout his entire body. "For your information, she was ambushed while she was out for a walk in the middle of the night! The scumbags who did it beat her up and would've raped her if I hadn't come along! If she's strong enough to survive something like that then she's more than capable of pulling a SLED in my book! So just shut your trap and –"

"You've got a big mouth, Kodi." Forest growled, baring his fangs. "I don't appreciate being talked to like that, so if I were you, I'd try not to do it again…"

"Is that a threat?" Kodi asked, baring his own teeth. He was usually renowned for his refusal to fight with any of the other dogs on his team, but this time was a little different.

"Yes it is…" Forest replied. His green eyes suddenly flashed in an unsettling way. "If I didn't know any better…I'd say you've got a thing for little miss 'I-got-beat-up-by-a-bunch-of-stupid-mutts'…" he sneered, lips curving in a rotten little smirk.

"Shut up you." Kirby suddenly growled, anger sparking. "I'm warning you…I don't like it when someone talks about my friends like that…"

"What are you and '_Lover-Boy_' over there gonna' do if I don't, huh?" Forest shot back, hackles rising slightly as the hair on both Kodi and Kirby's backs stood up in response, growls of warning issuing from the two.

A vicious fight would have no doubt broken out among the three dogs had Dusty herself not come limping around the side of the house to see what all the fuss was about.

((()-()))

Dusty mumbled and opened her eyes, the fragmentary bad dreams fading away to merciful nothingness. Not that she cared at the moment, as her chief concern was getting outside and doing her business out there and NOT in the house. She tried to move her legs and winced as a dull pain shot through her entire body. She gritted her teeth however, and with a sense of grim determination all her own, forced her tired, achy body to an upright position and managed to coax her shaky legs into supporting her weight.

The actual process of movement was a bit more difficult, seeing as her legs wanted to collapse with every new step she took. By the time she had managed to maneuver around Kodi, slip into the next room, make her way stealthily past her running mates and finally out the door and into the back yard, she was breathing heavily and both her chest and lungs were burning. A normal house-pet type of dog would've sank to the ground under these circumstances, but Dusty was not the only female sled-dog on the team for nothing; Thanks to her constant training in endurance by the harsh climate, her muscles were stronger than the normal dogs' and she felt she might be able to last a little longer…though how much longer she wasn't exactly sure…

She hastily did her business, making sure to cover up the more solid portion with pile of snow with one strong sweep of one of her back legs, the feat nearly costing her to lose her balance. '_See girl, you're tougher than you look._' she said, her self-confidence building with every word. '_You made it all the way out here, even with all these injuries, and still managed not to wake anyone up!_' Her heart swelled, a small flame of pride burning inside of her, giving her a bit more strength.

An instant later that little flame sputtered and died as she heard her Master get up and come down the stairs, preparing to summon her teammates from their sleep to once again brave harsh winds and blistering cold to…deliver the mail. '_You know, it kind of sounds lame when you say it like that._' She thought, a small, amused smile playing across her face. '_Better not tell Kodi that!_' She giggled slightly and then stopped after almost losing her balance and tumbling to the snow.

'_Okay, time to head back inside before you fall over and have to wait for Kodi or Kirby or one of the others to come and find you lying here like some old mutt._' She told herself and started off on her slow, shaky journey to the back door. Halfway there she heard voices. Fist Kodi asking, in a polite and kind tone, for someone's name. '_Oh no!_' Dusty thought miserably. _'I got_ replaced' Everyone knew it was a sled-dog's greatest shame to be placed on the sidelines while the rest merely shot by pulling the sled in their wake.

Her self-induced pity-party was interrupted as she heard a strangely familiar voice reply "She must not be very strong if she was beaten up by only one or two dogs at once." The voice paused and she could hear the sneer embedded in it like a chunk of glass in a marshmallow when it spoke again. The voice…she knew it from somewhere, but it rang a bell to faint to distinguish. "Maybe she should retire and become a house-pet instead." Anger burned in her mind as she heard this. She didn't know whom the heck this dog though he was, but she knew she wouldn't stand to be degraded like this, no _sir_! The voice continued "Leave the work o those who– "

Kodi's voice, loud and dripping with outrage, cut in sharply; "Shut up about Dusty!" he yelled, and the canine in question shrunk back a bit; hearing Kodi talk like that was…well…a little scary… She stiffened slightly as she heard his next words.

"For your information, she was ambushed while she was out for a walk in the middle of the night! The scumbags who did it beat her up and would've raped her if I hadn't come along! If she's strong enough to survive something like that, than she's more than capable of pulling a SLED in my book!" Dusty's heart swelled again, the small flame of pride that had shank to nothing more than a guttering spark blazed into something akin to a bonfire. '_I never knew he cared so much…_' Her gratitude towards him grew as she continued to listen. "So just shut your trap –"

Kodi was cut off yet again by the strangely familiar, yet cold voice saying. "You've got a big mouth Kodi. I don't like being talked to like that, so if I were you, I'd try not to do it again…" Dusty shivered slightly at the presence of the low growl in the stranger's voice. She didn't like where this was headed…

When she heard Kodi's voice reply "Is that a threat?" she decided it was time to put a stop to this before somebody got hurt…or worse. She limped with all the speed she could manage, which wasn't much, due to her injuries, mind set on keeping a fight from breaking out between her friends and her replacement (ugh, how she hated the word). Her pace quickened as she heard Kirby growl out "I'm warning you…I don't like it when someone talks about my friends like that…" and became faster still as she heard Forest – or so she'd heard Kodi call him a few seconds before – reply: "What're you and 'Lover-Boy' gonna' do if I don't, huh?"

From the tone of menacing challenge in his voice, Dusty judged it very fortunate for everyone that her appearance from around the corner of the house at that exact moment was timed just right. She could tell from one glance that she hadn't been a second too soon; had she not caused a momentary ripple in this stream of rapidly unfolding events, it would've been very likely that their Master would've found three angry, ferociously fighting dogs when he returned with what supplies he needed for their journey. As it was, upon seeing Dusty – the very dog around which the commotion was centered – any and all hostile activity ceased and they just looked at her with astounded surprise. Dusty felt a maddening urge to suddenly burst out laughing; with all of their mouths hanging open like that, they reminded her of a bunch of newborns.

She suppressed it with only the great force of her not-inconsiderable willpower and gave them a look. Her mouth turned down in a frown, her eyes narrowed slightly, and her brows knitted together. It is the sort of look an irritated mother wears when she discovers her pups squabbling over something not even worth the energy of the argument. It is the sort of look that asks, 'Alright-just- what-the-heck-is-going-on-here?'

"What's all this fuss about?" she asked, panting slightly. Now that she had stopped moving, her aggravated body finally had time to notice the red-hot band of pain that ran up and down her left side. She looked at them, head cocked, her appearance of a disapproving mother confronting her pups only strengthened by this.

Finally, Kodi broke the stunned silence. "Dusty…what're you doing out here? You should be inside…"

Dusty waved this notion away as if it were an annoying bug. "Oh, c'mon guys! Give me a break! Look, I know you were talking about me and– "

Forest's voice interrupted, it's icy blast stabbing through her calm, gentle, yet slightly insistent tone like a jagged set of teeth cutting through bone. "So, you're the weak little sled doggie who got beat up by a bunch of mutts, how _sad_." He said, voice dripping with sarcasm. He snickered derisively.

Dusty's head turned abruptly to regard Forest, that cocky and obnoxious albino Husky. Her upper lip curled involuntarily, exposing her white teeth. The words might as well have been a paw-slap to the face; they had the same effect. Dull, impersonal anger pulsed through her and she glowered at Forest, who looked slightly taken-aback, yet regained his composure so quickly that you wouldn't have known it was there, even for an instant. "Shut up, you." She growled. "You've got no idea what it was like, what I went through last night." Tears formed in her eyes and trickled slowly down her cheeks, she seemingly unaware of them as the streamed down her face, darkening her beautiful coat and staining it a darker gray as a mark of their passage.

"How would you know…? How could you understand…? You…" Her anger suddenly strengthened and in a sudden rush of emotion, she strode briskly forward, all pain temporarily forgotten, until she was almost nose-to-nose with the now thoroughly surprised Forest. She raised her right paw, drew it back, and brought it crashing across the stunned Husky's face with all the strength she could muster.

Forest blinked in amazement; _never_, in all his _life_, had a _female_ ever **_dared_** to do such a thing to _him_. It was unprecedented. His cheek was already starting to throb and swell where she had hit him. Yet, for the moment, his shock held sway over all, and he swung his head to look at the now 'no-longer-so-angry' Dusty, who still had tears streaming slowly down her furry face to drip onto the snow where they instantly turned into small particles of ice.

"…You…you selfish pig…" Dusty breathed, narrowed eyes still boring holes into Forest's unprotected face.

Yet Forest – not unlike a certain albino Malamute who had once been involved with Jenna in a similar situation, only it the Broiler Room – was, as I think I've sad before, not at all used to having a female slap him in the face and his shock was rapidly turning to anger. Then rage. "Nobody…Slaps…Me…NOBODY!" he snarled, causing Dusty to back up a few steps and allowing him to take a few menacing ones forward. "You're gonna' be sorry you did that…" he growled.

Kodi had been watching all of this quietly, but intently, form the sidelines, and had given Dusty her rightful chance to handle this her way. But now, with Forest's anger clearly rising – not to mention his rapidly crumbling restraint – Kodi decided it was time to intercede.

"Back off, Forest," he said, moving forward to block Dusty and positioning himself between the two of them. "I'm warning you…if you try anything…" He growled to finish the rest of his implied statement.

"Get outta my way, _Lover-Boy_." Forest snarled in reply, lips writhing back to expose his teeth.

In response to this, Kirby, Ralph and the others gathered to either side of Dusty, all of them sending an all too clear message; '_Go ahead…_try it_. We'd be happy to royally bust you up…It'd give us a chance to blow off some of this collective anger…_' In spite of this obvious show of superior force and numbers, Forest looked like he just might be angry enough to go ahead and try anyway, just to be able to get a shot at Dusty.

It certainly would've gotten bloody and somebody – maybe 3 or 4 somebodies – would've ended up needing medical attention had their Master not finished loading up the sled and now called all his dogs over to him to be fitted to the traces. With a growl of frustration, Forest stalked over to where Kodi's Master waited, pausing only briefly to shoot a single, furious glance back over his shoulder at both Dusty and Kodi, the latter returning the look. His soon-to-be widely known dislike of Dusty made Kodi distrust him, but the over-all vibe of bad, uncontrollable and unreasonable temperament radiating from the dog only served to deepen his mistrust and dislike.

As most of the others wished Dusty a speedy recovery – most of them going something like 'I don't like this guy. Hurry up and get better so we can drop his sorry butt and make this job fun again' – and hurriedly trotted over to the sled to be fixed into their place in line, Kodi lingered for a moment to turn and regard Dusty, who was looking at him with a sort of half-gratified-relief and half-disapproval. "Thanks for your support back there," she said, smiling at him. "But I could've taken care of him."

Kodi returned the smile. "I know you could've probably taken him with one paw tied behind you, but you know," he shrugged one powerful shoulder. "Never hurts to be safe, right?"

"Oh go _away_, you big fuzzball!" she giggled, and then abruptly stopped as a sudden spell of nausea overwhelmed her and she teetered precariously on her feet. She would've crashed down sideways into the snow had Kodi not – once again – cushioned her fall with his body. She looked up at him, smiling benignly. "Whoa…deja-vu…" she said, mentally giggling at the slight blush that had tinted Kodi's cheeks.

"Come on," he said, "Let's get you inside, you've been out here too long as it is…" He helped her into the house, supporting her with his shoulder and helped her as much as he could to get comfortable in her little basket once inside.

"How's that?" he asked after he seizing the blanket in his teeth, draping it over Dusty and tucking any extra material into the basket with his nose.

"Really comfy, thanks." She replied, looking gratefully up at him. "I wish I could go with you guys…" Her smile grew wistful. "I hate having to just lie here while you're out there, doing all the work and having to put up with that obnoxious jerk-wad Forest…"

Kodi nudged her with the tip of his nose. "Hey, it's just as important that you stay here." He smiled. "The faster you get better, then the faster we can dump Forest and get life back to the way it was…" His smile broke into a broad grin. "Besides," he said, "somebody's gotta' stay here and protect our food…"

They both laughed at that.

Finally Kodi turned to go, having been prompted by the anxious calls of his Master. When he had almost reached the door that led from the back room to their sleeping quarters, Dusty called out; "Kodi?"

"Yeah?" he replied, turning to her.

She smiled. "Make sure you come back safe."

"You bet!" Kodi replied, choosing to take the statement in the plural form, meaning bring the Team back safely, and to ignore a slightly more convincing voice that whispered that Dusty's words had been directed only to him.

With that, Kodi walked outside, where his Master strapped him to his rightful place as Lead Dog. His Master, after a final check to make sure all was well, jumped on the runners and called out "HIKE!" whereupon all the dogs shot forward, Kodi in the lead.

As his feet began to pound out that old familiar rhythm and he entered his 'zone', his thoughts drifted helplessly back to Dusty, lying at home in her basket with her blanket tucked around her, snug as could be.

'_Get well soon Dusty,_' he thought as he upped their pace a bit. '_For…for my sake if not for your own…_'


	3. Chapter 3: The Companion

_**Chapter 3**_

_**The Companion**_

The sun rose higher and higher in the sky as the day went on, the passage of time marked by the lengthening shadows of the team as they raced across the snow. Kodi, Ralph, Kirby and Forest – can't forget that rude, arrogant little S.O.B now can we? – Had all started the run off in a bad mood, their anger still brewing fresh and hot in their guts. Though, truth be told, the sources for the negative feelings in Kodi and the rest were quite different from those of Forest. Kodi, Ralph and Kirby were still pissed at Forest for his attitude towards Dusty. The albino Husky, on the other hand/paw was still fuming about Kodi's intervention between him getting at Dusty. Despite this, they all found a common way to blow off their anger whilst still being productive. They used it to fuel their muscles and push themselves harder than they normally could, thusly achieving a greater speed.

Kodi's upper lip involuntarily curled slightly as he risked a quick glance over his shoulder at Forest, who was running right behind him. '_Gosh darn it!_' he fumed. '_Why did Master have to stick him behind me?_' He supposed it was just his rotten luck but that did little to sooth his still active temper. He could already tell Forest didn't like him at all and all Kodi had to say on that subject was that the feeling was reciprocated. Forest was – among a great many other things – a bully, plain and simple. The way he'd acted towards Dusty…Just thinking about it made Kodi even angrier and he unconsciously picked up his pace.

Across from him, Kirby sent him a message by way of touching the tip of his tail to Kodi's for a brief instant. '_Slow down a little. You're gonna hurt yourself if you keep this up. He's not worth it right now. Save it for later._'

Kodi sent back his own little message in the same manner; '_I'll be fine. Besides, seeing and hearing him work harder is worth it. I can handle this pace._'

'_But _we_ can't. So slow up a little bit or we'll blow ourselves out before we're even half-way there._' Ralph sent in reply from where he ran next to Forest, sending his message in almost the same manner as Kirby, though he substituted the tip of his nose for his tail.

Kodi mentally sighed and dropped his pace the tiniest bit. Almost immediately Kirby and Ralph began to run with more ease. After a few moments, what Kodi feared would happen if he showed signs of possible weakness finally did; Forest spoke to him. Well, truth be told, it was more an insult of sorts.

"What's the matter…_Lover-Boy_?" he taunted smugly from behind Kodi in between gasps for breath. "You…getting tired already?" Kodi could hear the infuriating sneer in the Husky's voice, but did his best to ignore it. Kirby was right; getting mad and upping the pace again wouldn't solve anything right now…and that was exactly what Forest was trying to do. Kodi guessed that Forest figured that by driving Kodi to pull the sled at a psychopathic pace, he could wear him out, thus making the russet Husky all the easier to snuff out if Forest was stupid enough to try such a move. There was one flaw in Forest's plan however; Kodi had decided a while ago not to give him that particular piece of satisfaction.

Besides, what would Dusty say?

Ah, poop.

There he was. Thinking about her _again_.

He'd been doing it on and off for the last three or four hours, mind straying back to dwell upon the only female member of their little four-dog team. He told himself that he was just worried she'd hurt herself again without him there to watch her and, as a friend, he was naturally concerned. These thoughts however, did little to shut out the once-little-now-medium-sized voice that insisted that his worries were merely a sign of growing affection for Dusty...

But that was absurd! He didn't feel that way about Dusty! And she sure as heck didn't feel that way about him…Did she? Forest's words wormed their way into his head nonetheless. '_If I didn't know better…I'd say you've got a thing for little miss 'I-got-beat-up-by-a-bunch-of-stupid-mutts'…_' Maybe…

Kodi shook his head, trying to empty his mind off all thoughts regarding Dusty and concentrate on the task at hand; running. Doing his job. And doing it right at that. For a few moments, he assumed victory was his, but you know the old saying, 'assume makes an ass out of u and me', and his mind dragged him back to contemplate his companion once again. And as they breasted a slight rise, with the sled coming down with a large, unceremonious whooshing-thud, he realized, with a slight, unidentifiable twinge in his heart, that he missed her…

((()-()))

Dusty's blue eyes opened and then immediately snapped shut again. _Dang_, but that sun was _bright_ when it hit you full in the face. With an irritated little grumble, she quickly rolled over, only to discover that when she tried this, she upset her little basket and tumbled out with a small yelping-whine of dismay. Her eyes popped opened and she found herself on her back staring at the ceiling, her head slightly woozy with rekindled pain. An instant later, a large, white something appeared an inch from her face and asked, in a thick accent that was decidedly Russian; "You all right?"

Dusty, taken completely by surprise, yelped involuntarily, and attempted to spring to her paws, forgetting her wounded body in her sudden panic. Her injuries quickly reasserted themselves however, and upon trying to quote 'spring to her paws', her legs merely buckled, sending her sprawling on the floor with another low yelp. Her soft yelps, coupled with her sudden, unexpected movements, caused the strange creature to cry out as well and back haphazardly away, stumbling over someone's chew-bone in its hurry, causing it to tumble over onto its back with another cry.

Dusty looked toward the creature and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw a large, rather old-looking Russian goose sit up, rubbing his head, and kick the bone out from under himself, all the while muttering curses in his native language. Dusty couldn't help but utter a slight giggle, getting the goose's attention to snap back to her in an instant. His eyebrows knitted together in obvious irritation. "What's with all the screaming, and the yelling, and the 'Aaaaahhhh!'?" he asked, clearly put out to some degree. His accent was thicker than ever.

Dusty's own brows met and she replied, with a slight huff; "You scared the _crap_ outta' me, that's what! Haven't you ever heard of '_personal space_'?" she said, putting special emphasis on the last two words.

This only seemed to heighten the white bird's annoyance, for he replied; "Scare _you_? _You_ almost gave _me_ stroke!" He let out a little 'hmph' and waddled over to stand somewhat sulkily next to her.

"So…" Dusty ventured, when the silence between them started to get to her. "Who are you?"

The goose's facial expression of annoyance melted away and he sat down with a soft '_flump_' of feathers. "My name Boris Goosinoff and I am Balto's friend."

"Okay…" Dusty said. At least she was getting along with him – at least so far it seemed. She decided to go further. "So…what exactly are you doing here?"

Boris gave her a shrewd – but not altogether unkindly – look before replying, with an exasperated sigh, "I was asleep on old trawler when Kodi came running up – maybe 7 or 8 of clock – calling 'Dad! Dad! Dad!'." Boris seemed to mull over how annoying this had been before continuing. "Finally, I get out to tell him Balto gone with his brother Kavik to talk with his other brother Kemo in the woods, and not come back till end of the day…"

"And?" Dusty prompted him, raising her eyebrows slightly in annoyance at his casual delivery of all this tantalizing information."What'd he say?"

Boris mumbled something she couldn't quite catch (even with her highly acute ears), something like "…no respect. Not like in Old Country…" Dusty ignored it. "He say 'Where's Dad?', so I tell him Balto left and he get all worried-like, start pacing back and forth through snow in front of boat. So, I ask; 'What wrong? What you need Balto for?' and he say, 'I came to ask him if he could go in town and check on Dusty for me sometime in afternoon or evening.' or something like that."

Dusty's heart swelled once again and she didn't need a mirror to tell that she was blushing at least a little bit. Kodi? Asking his dad, Balto, to come and check on her? She didn't know weather to feel gratified or slightly embarrassed by his request, and in truth, she felt a little of both. But it could also be said that gratification was defiantly the larger of the two. Gratified…and maybe something a bit more towards…

She shook her head slightly, her cheeks flaring a deep red for an instant as she banished the thought. She was kidding herself! There was no way she could possibly…well…um…go beyond liking Kodi as a friend. But still…

'_No, no, no, no, **no** Dusty,_' she thought, scolding herself for being such a pup. '_You stop right there young lady! That is Off-Limits territory!_'

With her mental limits somewhat resolutely set, she looked back to Boris whose expression had changed from that of annoyance to curiosity, one thick, bushy eyebrow raised in silent question.

"Something wrong?" he asked, striving for a completely nonchalant tone. He knew what the feeling he was getting from the canine next to him meant all too well, oh boy you bet your you-know-what he did. He'd gotten it from Balto often enough when the big mutt had been around Jenna…and we all know how **_that_** ended. '_Oi, great, just what I need,_' he mentally griped. '_A soon-to-be love-struck dog…Arg, Shieza, it's worse than the BEARS!_' Yet he was slightly amused, and this he couldn't deny, even to himself. He'd been wondering when one of Balto's children was going to hit the Jackpot…

"N-no, nothing's wrong," Dusty assured him, hearing the slight stutter in her voice and hating it while at the same time helpless to gain control her stutter. "G-go on."

Boris arched both brows before continuing, causing the upper portion of his face to crease in a dozen places. "Well he say 'What about Mom?' and I tell him she went off to help Angel and Star with something and it take most of the day. Then he ask - this was after a little fidgeting - if I come down and check on you."

"And you said yes? Why?" Dusty asked, though in truth it really didn't matter all that much to her; just the fact that Boris had even considered coming here was enough for her to count him as a good person and possible a friend.

Boris seemed almost to be checking for eavesdroppers before cupping a wing to his beak and replying, in a confidential undertone, "Between you and me, I do anything to get away from Muk and Luk. They crazy!"

Dusty's laughter pealed outward in a loud, long, melodious burst that she was helpless to hold back. And Boris joined her, his laughter equally loud. When it had all died down, she got to her feet, wincing with pain, although, she noticed, it wasn't as bad as it had been earlier. She was getting better, and quickly too. At this rate, she surmised she'd be back on the team and pulling with the rest in about a week, maybe less!

Then, with a slight jolt, reality reasserted itself with a twinge of pain, as it often seemed to prefer to do to her as of late, and she sat back on her haunches. Darn it!

She suddenly snapped her head to the window, wanting to clarify what her internal clock had already registered. If the sun had been low enough to shine though the window and hit her in the face then that must mean…it was true. By the slant of the now molten orange ball of gas and flame, she could tell her fears had been confirmed; she'd been asleep for most of the day…

She hardly heard Boris say that he had to go - something about meeting someone named Stella - and didn't take note of the way he took off, flying low to the ground, which was odd for a goose. She was sinking into an irritated sort of depression. If she had slept this long…then she'd be out for something more like three weeks rather than her preferred single week...

"Kodi…" she sighed softly, and was not ashamed to admit it to herself this time; she missed him. She missed his radiant smile, his sense of iron will and unshakable determination, his little pranks that always made her laugh. She missed the broad, understanding and protective feeling he seemed to radiate throughout the whole team. Mostly, though, she missed the way he made her feel safe and – dare she say it? – loved whenever the two of them were together. Like last spring, when they'd gone for a romping, playful wrestle in a large clearing of Timothy and wild Wheat after she'd watched Kodi and Balto get themselves soaked in the attempt to help Muk and Luk overcome their fear of water…

Yeah, you could say that she missed him a lot…

((()-()))

We've heard from our two lovers-to-be…but now, let us take a slightly more twisted approach to the story, you and I, shall we? Let us see what our little friend Forest is thinking…as we all already know that he will be up to no good…

((()-()))

Damn, Damn, Damn, Damn it all to Hell and Back! Forest cursed over and over again in his mind as he kept pace with the rest of the team, the sled bumping and bouncing occasionally behind them in their wake. His mind drifted back, attempting to make sense of the mess he'd gotten himself and two of his friends into.

When Forest had heard that little turd Kodi talking about how some dog had gotten beaten up in the middle of the night, needless to say, the first person to cross his mind was Dusty. After all, hadn't he and his two friends been the ones to royally bust her up? But he'd though surely that it must be a coincidence, and that some other dog had gotten beaten up as well. I mean, come on! There was no way anybody could've survived what the three of them had done to her. Yet _she_ had. Somehow, she'd defied all logic and survived, curse it all!

That'd got him going again. When he'd seen Dusty come around the corner of the house this morning, he'd thought '_Crap!_ _I though Sabbath finished the job, but I guess we'll have to deal with this problem now that we've already gone and screwed it up._'

The whole ordeal had started as a sort of sickly twisted joke, really. Pride was a big Husky/Malamute mix who was as strong as he was mean, which meant he was both as strong as an ox and had the temperament of a wounded grizzly. He had seen Dusty trotting past them on the opposite side of the street the other night and had immediately taken interest. The big stupid lug was always after one bitch or another, and Forest now supposed that it had simply been their misfortune for him to chose Dusty. Forest, not really caring what happened but too bored to find any reason to object – not that he'd tried very hard to find one – had followed after Pride along with Sabbath. What the heck, it would at least give him something to do in the wee hours of the morning.

As the large Malamute continued to mull all this over while keeping pace with Ralph – disgusting mutt. He needed a good thrashing. Maybe later – who was running beside him, he came to realize Sabbath's motivation to come with them had been the prospect of torment. Looking at him, you wouldn't have said the small white Samoyed wasn't capable of harming a fly. With his large golden eyes, glossy snow-white fur, and overall aura of suave charm, the ladies were all but throwing themselves upon him wherever their master went. Sabbath was, in some ways, the busiest of the three of them; he was almost always at it with some bitch or another.

Forest knew the saying '_Appearances can be deceiving_' and knew the old proverb was in no dog more apt than in Sabbath. Hidden beneath that innocent-looking exterior lay the mind of a cold-blooded loner who took nothing, gave nothing and expected nothing. Forest had seen him beat down other dogs with nothing more than a snarl and a flash from his eyes. Now you had to admire a dog who was so good at what he did. In short, Sabbath had turned intimidation into an art form. He had been the one to lay the bulk of the beat down on the mightily resisting Dusty, and he'd grinned like a sadist with a maddening sort of gleam in his eyes that had said quite clearly that he had enjoyed every yelp, every scream of pain and despair that the gray Husky had uttered before that little whelp Kodi had come to the rescue and forced them to make a hasty retreat.

Kodi. Just thinking the name caused Forest to utter an involuntary growl deep in his throat. His out-and-out hatred of the dog currently leading him and the rest of these yahoos had bloomed in all its malignancy when Kodi had stood in his way of Dusty. His hatred had only increased when he learned that Kodi had been the one to drive them off, the mongrel! Sticking his nose into things that were none of his damn business! Forest's boundless anger sprang forth again, this time with a vengeance. He promised himself that Kodi would die by his fangs, or Sabbath's or Pride's, but most preferably his own. Yeah, him and that little bitch of his too. They could die together, locked in each other's bloody embrace. Forest grinned like a shark. '_How sweet._' He thought mockingly.

So engrossed in his own thoughts was Forest that it took him a full five or ten minutes to realize they were coming to their pick-up point and therefore, would have the opportunity to rest up and eat. Good. He couldn't wait to be out of the traces. He needed a break from these filthy creatures. As if in answer to some unspoken prayer, the Master unhooked him and the others for feeding. With a flick of curiosity, Forest saw Kodi pick up his ration of food and quickly trot over to a low hill, whereupon he simply sat, staring off into space. What's with this? Has Lover-Boy gone coo-coo?

Moving with the slow, agonizing care of the unobtrusive, Forest crept over to within hearing distance of his decidedly hated enemy. The fact that this spurning hatred was returned ten-fold by the one to which his ears were now tuned would've made him almost smile with glee. After all, it was more fun to kill an enemy when the blind, unpredictable battle rage held sway over you both.

Wait, Kodi was saying something, the words coming out almost in a sigh. Forest strained his hearing with all his might, willing the workings of his head to pick up and identify the vibrations traveling through the air and translate them into words.

"…Dusty…" Almost a whisper and –

"…God…do I miss you…"

Forest was helpless to stop the smile from spreading on his face. Oh, this was going to be so much fun! '_I'm gonna' bring you down, Kodi._' He thought, sparing the Hated One a last, furtive, over-the-shoulder look before carefully slinking back to the others, who hadn't noticed his disappearance. '_I'm gonna' bring you down, you and you little Dusty in one shot, with one god-almighty smash and then, little buddy, you'll go down in flaming glory!_'


	4. Chapter 4: The Realization

_**Chapter 4**_

_**The Realization**_

Kodi sat, watching the sun go down behind the mountains, seeing but not really caring about how the last golden rivulets of light were staining the white fluff around him in a color that could almost be classified as amber. He blew out a breath, almost a sigh, and looked down at the pound and a half of dried fish at his feet. His stomach growled urgently, but Kodi himself felt no particular urge to eat. Besides, the clamor of his innards seemed far away…unimportant at the moment. He was very confused. Normally, he would've wolfed down his ration with everyone else, and then they would've had a good romp in the snow before bed to let off any after-supper energy.

Yet this evening he'd taken his food over here, on some hilltop to watch the stupid sun go down, a sight he'd seen a million times or more. Why…why had he? With a slight shrug, he shook this little notion off, summing up all his preoccupation as simply an irritation caused by Forest's attitude. He didn't like that dog. No, not one bit. '_He may be a sled dog, and a good one at that,_' Kodi thought in a darkly, '_but he's got a heart darker than the fur on a Kodiak bear._'

The unintended irony of this thought caused a brief flutter of chuckles to burst forth from him in a sudden rush, a smile playing it's way across his face. But the expression felt false, almost wooden, and he felt it slip from his face without much interest. This little show of unknown cheer apparently attracted attention, for Kirby came over to join him.

"What's so funny?" his teammate asked, his own small smile – that day's first and last Kodi noted – flitting across his features. He added to his overall feeling of curiosity by adding a raised eyebrow, his body relaxed.

"Nothing…" Kodi replied absently, still looking off into the distance, his own smile returning, though only briefly.

"Sure?" Kirby asked, the tinniest edge of a laugh working its way into his voice. "Cause if you're not, you mind sharing what's got you in such a good mood? The rest of us," he spared a single glance back over his shoulder to regard the rest of the team, "could use a good laugh after all the crap we've been puttin' up with all day…" his voice fell into an uncharacteristic tone of contempt as he finished.

"Forest?" Kodi asked. It almost wasn't a question. Who really needed to ask? All you had to do was look at the body language of the team to see that the white Malamute wasn't liked.

"Forest." Kirby confirmed dryly. There was the slightest tone of disgust in his voice. "I've never seen or worked with such an impudent mongrel in all my life pulling the line."

Kodi smiled bitterly. 'Pulling the line' was a term used only by their team, a sort of trademark saying if you will. It meant – in the most basic sense – running the mail. "I know how you feel. I don't care for him either. He's got a bad attitude." His smile which had already been faint to begin with, melted away to be replaced with an un-Kodi-like frown.

Kirby nodded in slight agreement. "You got it. But it's not just his attitude that's bad." Kirby turned his head to regard the younger dog sitting beside him. "It's his entire personality. I don't care what he's like even when he's not pulling; that Malamute's got a heart colder and harder than the Rocky Mountains."

Kodi was at a momentary loss for words. Kirby had put to speech what had been resounding in all their minds over the course of the day's work. Forest did indeed have a dark, almost contemptuous, feeling to him. '_Yeah, like someone who'd see a dog getting beaten in the street and not even twitch a whisker to help._' The thought, with its again unintended echoes of what'd befallen poor Dusty made him uneasy. He said, "I can't believe we've got almost three whole days left before we can dump him off again at Nome."

"Another few weeks, you mean." Kirby corrected him.

"What?" Kodi asked, ripping his gaze away from the now rapidly fading sunlight to stare unbelievingly at his friend. "What'd you – "

"You forgot about Dusty." Kirby said simply. "Even with her strength, it'll take her at least that long before she'll be good enough for the traces." Kirby's smile fell away and his face crumpled. "Crap…" he said despairingly, "I don't care what anyone else thinks, that Forest's a real son-of-a-you-know-what. I don't like him." He repeated.

Kodi's face likewise morphed, his eyebrows drawing together and his mouth turning down in another frown. "I agree, I hate working with him." He sighed heavily, "Our job used to be fun, until Dusty got beaten to a pulp and we got stuck with Forest," he said, the name rolling off his tongue as though the dog in question were something slimy he'd just discovered on the bottom of his foot.

"Speaking of Dusty," Kirby said, in an almost conversational tone, "you…miss her…don't you?" His eyes locked with Kodi's and the red and cream colored Husky next to him felt put out of place by the quality of that glance.

Kodi's eyes widened slightly, and he looked back at Kirby, ready to protest…But what for? It wasn't as though he was…well…it wasn't as though he was embarrassed by it or anything. So…why? His mouth opened, but instead of protest, what came out was the truth. "Yeah…I do…" Kodi said, eyes involuntarily lowering.

((()-()))

"Speaking of Dusty," Kirby said, in what he hoped what sounded like a 'just-passing-the-time' sort of voice, "you miss her…don't you?" He turned and gave Kodi a look that, he again hoped, said it was okay for him to admit it, that he wasn't going to tease him about it like Ralph may've perhaps done were he the one pose the question instead of himself.

Kirby was at first relieved, then strangely disappointed with Kodi's response. "Yeah…I do…" He didn't know why either. He hadn't expected anything else, save for protest, and Kodi was smart enough to know protesting would only make his feelings all the more obvious.

"Hey," he said, giving Kodi an understanding smile. "Don't look so embarrassed. She's your teammate, after all, so it's only natural. Don't forget, I've been doing this longer than you have, so I kinda' know how it feels."

"Do you?" Kodi shot back in a voice that surprised Kirby a little. Was that…annoyance or maybe frustration? Then Kirby realized what it actually was, not annoyance, but anger. In truth, Kirby was a little uneasy. Kodi wasn't usually the type who got so easily upset. So why –

Shutting the rest of these thoughts out – he was being foolish for a dog his age anyway – Kirby was helpless not to shrink back a bit at Kodi's tone. "Hey…you don't have to get so angry." he replied, in a voice that sounded meek even to his own ears. He'd never seen Kodi angry before. Annoyed, yeah. He'd looked and sounded annoyed whenever they were late with the mail, like those times before all that business with Duke and the Bush-plane. But angry…no, almost never. Well, Kirby allowed, unless you counted that time when Kodi had stormed out to help his dad find Duke when the rest – including Kirby himself – had thought it to be a lost cause.

Come to think of it…Dusty had been the first to follow him out the door, hadn't she? She'd also been the one to get the other six of them off their butts and on their paws to help Kodi too, hadn't she? Yeah…Kodi's concern for Dusty suddenly came to mind – from both just now and during the events of this morning with Forest – and he swiftly formed the connection between the two. They liked each other, but neither knew it yet.

'_Ah, nuts,_' Kirby thought distractedly, _'why is it that whenever two dogs have a thing for each other, everyone can see it but them?_' That in turn got him going on what an unpredictable sort of thing Love was, but Kodi was speaking again and Kirby forced the thoughts from his head, hoping he hadn't looked too vacant. "Sorry, Kodi, I was thinking…what'd you say?"

Kodi looked slightly unsure of himself but went on anyway. "I'm sorry…I shouldn't have gotten mad, it's not you fault. I wasn't only worried about her just now…I've been worried about her all day. And it's not just that," he went on, voice hardening slightly, "I'm…angry."

Kodi shook his head, as if dispelling the thought. "No…I mean, I…I'm the one who found her after she was beaten up and left for dead in the alley. And when she talked to me, the way she sounded…" Kodi's voice trembled for perhaps a second, then firmed, but Kirby caught it nonetheless. "I was mad, I mean really mad. I felt like I wanted to find the dog or the dogs that did it to her and rip them apart. And I still feel that way…" He turned a slightly puzzled face to Kirby. "What's happening to me? I usually never feel this way…"

Kirby was momentarily thrown completely off-kilter by the sheer oddity of this statement. They'd gone from belittling Forest to Kodi talking about how he'd felt all pissed off and ready to brawl when he found Dusty. Kirby considered his options. For a wild moment, he almost gave into the insane but powerful urge to push his face up to Kodi's until they were brow-to-brow and then scream into his face, '_You LOVE her! That's what's gotten into you! And she LOVES you! Are the two of you so _blind_ that you can't see it?_'

But then logic reared its head and reasserted itself. It wasn't his place to tell Kodi something like _that_. Kodi would have to figure something like _that_ out on his own…or have Balto or Jenna help him out with it. Having Dusty help would be the best of all, but logic also told him Kodi's mother and father would be just as able and willing to explain all this to him. Besides, Kirby admitted to himself if to no one else, he was no good when it came to the Game of Love anyway.

What he said was. "Hey Kodi that's okay. You were mad, I mean really boiling. I would've felt the same way in your position, Ralph too for that matter." He smiled. It was slightly harder than usual to do, but he managed to pull it off. "You want revenge for Dusty. I'll be honest; so do the rest of us. But nobody knows who did it, so we can't chase em' down and make them pay, much as we all want to." Kirby smiled hopefully. "Now c'mon. Enough talk for tonight. Let's go and bed down for the night before all the good spots are taken." Kirby chuckled and was relieved when Kodi joined in.

"Yeah, let's." Kodi agreed and then as if struck by sudden inspiration, "Maybe we'll get lucky and Forest will catch a cold or something and be miserable for the rest of the trip."

Kirby snorted. "I like that a lot but I doubt it'll happen."

The two of them laughed as they made their way back to camp.

((()-()))

"Yeah…I do…" Kodi admitted. He felt embarrassed and knew not why. He lowered his gaze and could almost feel the heat rising in his cheeks. He prayed that Kirby wouldn't notice.

His older team member apparently didn't need to get a clear view of his friend's face to know how he felt. He said, "Hey, don't look so embarrassed. She's your teammate, after all, so it's only natural. Don't forget, I've been doing this longer than you have, so I kinda' know how it feels." He garnished the remark with an understanding smile.

"Do you?" Kodi retorted, the anger he heard in his own voice surprising himself as well as Kirby. He saw and was concerned at the look of slight unease he saw on Kirby's face. Kodi was now not only embarrassed by angry with himself as well. '_What's the matter with you?_' he mentally scolded himself. '_You didn't need to get mad at Kirby! It's not his fault you're concerned about Dusty!_'

"Hey…you don't have to get so angry" Kirby replied, and Kodi was dismayed to hear a touch of defense and submission in that voice. Had he really sounded bad enough to make Kirby nervous? He knew it to be true and it only served to make his embarrassment grow.

When he found the courage to look directly at Kirby again, he saw his worries regarding him had been for naught; Kirby was apparently lost in his own thoughts. "I'm sorry…" Kodi said, causing Kirby to snap out of his own head and back to reality. Kodi vaguely heard him mumble some apology and then went on, still a little unsure. "I'm sorry…I shouldn't have gotten mad at you. It's not your fault. I wasn't only worried about her just now…I've been worried about her all day. And it's not just that," he went on, his voice hardening slightly with his anger at what'd happened to Dusty. "I'm…angry."

He shook his head. No, that wasn't it. Not all of it, anyway. . "No…I mean, I…I'm the one who found her after she was beaten up and left for dead in the alley. And when she talked to me, the way she sounded…" He heard his voice threatening to tremble and caught it before it could catch and forced his tone to firm. Besides, he wasn't done yet. "I was mad, I mean really mad. I felt like I wanted to find the dog or the dogs that did it to her and rip them apart. And I still feel that way…" He turned his slightly puzzled face to Kirby. "What's happening to me? I usually never feel this way…" He was at a loss for words now. He couldn't make it any clearer, even though the whole thing sounded like nothing more than a garbled mess to his own ears.

Kirby seemed to go through many thoughts in his mind, some of them apparently not what he wanted, for at times he shook his head, and stayed silent for several seconds. When he at last spoke, what he said was. "Hey Kodi that's okay. You were mad, I mean really boiling. I would've felt the same way in your position, Ralph too for that matter." He smiled. It looked to Kodi like it was hard work. "You want revenge for Dusty. I'll be honest; so do the rest of us. But nobody knows who did it, so we can't chase em' down and make them pay, much as we all want to." Kirby smiled hopefully, the gesture now appearing true. "Now c'mon. Enough talk for tonight. Let's go and bed down before all the good spots are taken." Kirby chuckled and looked relieved when Kodi joined in, their soft exclamations of humor carrying softly back to camp.

"Yeah, let's." Kodi agreed and then smiled. A sudden very-happy thought came to mind. "Maybe we'll get lucky and Forest will catch a cold or something and be miserable for the rest of the trip."

Kirby snorted. "I like that a lot but I doubt it'll happen."

The two of them laughed as they made their way back to camp. But part of Kodi's mind was still turning his feelings for Dusty over and over…whispering that what he felt was more than mere concern…it was Love he felt instead. And, as he dug in and lay down to let sleep spirit him away from the world…he realized, with a glad, but furiously beating heart…that what the voice had said…was true.

He, Kodi…was in Love…with Dusty…

He welcomed the fact, and embraced it with open arms as his exhausted mind drifted off to Dreamland…

((()-()))

Forest sat, far away enough from the fire so as not to attract the Master's attention, but still near enough to feel the warmth spreading along his back. He was lying on his stomach, head lowered onto crossed paws, eyes closed, looking to be deep in sleep. He was chuckling mentally to himself at the stupidity of his 'teammates'. Those other five losers over there thought he was asleep but it was only a sham; in truth, he was listening with all his might to what those other two, Kirby and Lover-Boy were saying, for they were talking about him if his ears served him right.

He had to use all of his willpower to keep from growling with rage as the two traded insults about him to one another. How dare they! How _dare_ they! Those lowlife scumbag _hicks_! To think that they could talk about him in such a manner and continue to draw breathe…! It was infuriating, but he dared not move for fear of discovery. Besides, he was gaining valuable information.

He'd taken the time on the trail to give little personal insulting nicknames to the rest of his 'team.' Kodi was of course Lover-Boy. Dusty was – oh, and this was his absolute _favorite_, the one he'd brooded over the most – Little Miss Bitch. Kirby was Mr. Cocky and Ralph was Mush-Brain. The other two weren't important and so he hadn't wasted time in thinking up nicknames for them. They were just two Huskies who never talked, even to any of the others, loners, in other words.

While it was indeed true that Forest couldn't read minds – no dog alive could for that matter, none that he knew of anyway – his nose told him all he needed and more. With his eyes closed, he could practically _smell_ what Lover-Boy and Mr. Cocky were thinking. And it brought him a veritable _wealth_ of knowledge, even juicier than what he'd originally suspected. They didn't know it was he who'd done the horrible deed, him and his friends, but if they had, Mr. Cocky said the six of them would've hunted down and punished whoever had done it.

'_Ha! Ha! Fat chance, half-wits!_' he thought with the ghost of a smirk. '_The first thing Sabbath did was brain Little Miss Bitch so hard she wouldn't remember a thing!_' He couldn't help but let lose an insane little titter of macabre giggles, despite the risks. It was just too damn _funny_! Wait, okay, wait, Lover-Boy and Mr. Cocky are talking again. Gotta be qui-et now, or they'll hear you and we can't have that, now can we? No, it'd spoil all the fun, fun, fun! No, we certainly can't have that! So just lie in wait, and listen.

What came next was so deliciously good, so enthralling, that the albino Husky almost yipped with glee. '_Looks like I was right! Lover-Boy and Little Miss Bitch _do_ have the hots for each other!_' He grinned, helpless to stop himself. '_Oh, this is gonna' be even_ better_ than I thought!_' Already a plan had begun to take shape in Forest's twisted mind, one that involved both Pride and Sabbath, and the other two Lovebirds… But the timing would have to be just right for it to work! But that was no problem. The three of them were old experts when it came to action at the precise moment…

So thinking, Forest lay, pretending to sleep near the fire, listening…and scheming about the double murder he was itching to commit…

((()-()))

We've heard from our more interesting canines – not to mention the Peanut Gallery, ha, ha, ha – so now let us take wing and fly back with all speed to Nome, where we may find some more of our interesting little canine buddies…

((()-()))

Dusty sighed, a big and depressed 'whoosh' of air expelling from both mouth and nose. She'd been lying here for hours and she still couldn't get to sleep. Her tired mind ran itself crazy with nonsense, as anyone's mind will do when they are kept awake by loneliness or if they happen to be suffering an Insomnia attack late into the night. Fortunately for Dusty, this latter wasn't the case; it was loneliness. Which, she now realized, was somehow much worse. And the hell of it was, she didn't know why! That was the most frustrating part of all! She rolled over, wincing a bit as her wounded body grumbled at the sudden movement, and frowned, looking at the wall.

Maybe…if she could just remember what'd caused her to feel this way, she could put it behind her, at least for now, and get to sleep. She cast her mind back to the end of the day, a few minutes after Boris had left…

((()-()))

She went outside – she could manage that much at least, thank GOD for some small favors, can you say Amen – and watched as the last rays of the sun spilled over everything, the precursor of twilight hour, her favorite time of the day. As she stared at the sun with her blue eyes, the pupils catching and magnifying that dying brilliance, she felt such a pang within her that she actually felt tears close to the surface. '_What is it?_' she asked herself, and finding no answer, repeated the question; '_what's wrong with me? Why do I feel this way? Am I sick…?_'

She squeezed her eyes shut, searching inside herself, willing her distracted mind to come up with the answer. After a few minutes, however, she ceased trying… It was a waste of time anyway…

"…Kodi…" she sighed, the word barely audible even to her own sharp ears. "…I miss you…" She was startled by her own words. What'd she said that for? Yet she knew. Deep inside her, within her very being, inside her very soul, she sensed that some true, indisputable part of her knew the answer…the answer was…she missed him…missed Kodi…or, could it be something more than that…? She didn't know.

What a start it would've given her to know that almost 120 miles away, a certain Lead Dog was thinking almost those exact words, his eyes turned aflame by the fading light as well. Kodi and his team really had covered that amount of distance seeing as they'd been running almost flat-out the entire day

'_You miss him…_' a voice deep within her whispered. She thought it was the voice of Triksey, her mother.

'_Yes…_' she thought back, realizing what her heart and soul had already confirmed and had simply been waiting for her head to catch up on. '_Yes…I do miss him…God, do I ever…_'

'_Yet…mayhap, you more than miss him…_' her Triksey's voice went on, '_…maybe…_'

"Dusty?" A voice asked, nearly making her jump right out of her fur in surprise. She gave a small yelp of shock and spun around, the quick movement proving too much for her still-recovering body, and her vision swam in and out of focus, first muddy, then clear, now muddy again. She teetered, on the edge of balance, scolding herself for acting so in her condition. '_This is it,_ _I'm going to fall…_' she thought with dismay. The last thing she wanted to do was make an even bigger fool over herself in front of whoever had crept up on her, albeit without meaning to.

She reeled…but did not fall. Instead, she felt herself steadied by a broad muscular back. She looked up, vision clearing, bringing the world back into focus…and she saw Balto, Kodi's father, supporting her, looking at her with concern blooming in his yellow/brown eyes.

"Balto?" she asked, sounding to herself like the world's biggest idiot.

"What're you doing out here Dusty?" he asked, and she saw a rueful smile grow on his face. "You should know better than to push yourself so hard in your condition…" He helped her to stand so she could sit down. Looking around, she was surprised to find she'd walked all the way out to the old trawler, Balto's off-and-on residence. '_I…walked all the way out here?_' she thought, staggered by the distance.

"You okay?" Balto asked, concern seeming to rise.

Dusty's cheeks were immediately aflame, embarrassed by her little mishap. "Y-yeah, I'm okay." she replied, flustered.

Balto smiled. He could see easily why Jenna said Kodi might have a 'thing' for her. Though she was clearly badly injured, she'd managed to make it all the way out here. She had strength and determination, you had to give her that. But there was more to her than that, he realized. Even in the fading light, he could see how her physical beauty – as well as her free, all-enduring, relentless spirit – might've had something to do with Kodi's possible – make that _probable_ – attraction to her.

'_I've got to hand it to you Kodi,_' Balto thought, still smiling, '_if you really _do_ love Dusty like Jenna says, you've got excellent taste...but then again, you are _my_ son!_' His smile broadened to a grin as he thought of the look on Jenna's face and of what she would say if she only knew what he'd just thought! How embarrassed she'd be!

"Something funny…?" Dusty asked, her own smile appearing as she saw Balto's widening one.

"Nah…nothing in particular." He replied his tone dismissive, adding to the effect with a light flick of a brown forepaw.

Dusty giggled. "Sorry…I didn't mean disturb you or anything…" she began apologetically, but Balto's chuckles quickly quieted her.

"_Disturb_? Nah, you didn't disturb me at all!" he assured her, smile flashing out again. It was so like Kodi's, that smile…it was strangely comforting. Kodi even laughed like he did! It was all so…ironically silly in some strange and wondrous way. "I just got back to the trawler to check on Muk and Luk before I went home to Jenna when – "

At the sound of their names, the two polar bears came pounding out of the ancient naval structure; their simple faces alight with curiosity. Laughing, they came pelting down the gangplank calling "Balto! Balto! Batlo! You're back!"

Balto was helpless to contain himself upon seeing Boris, spitting curse after curse in Russian, come scrambling after them, calling "Idiot bears! Get back inside trawler this instant or Boris go crazy on you!"

"Hey, Boris!" a voice called disapprovingly, almost laughing in spite of the tone, "watch what you say! We've got a lady present!" a gust of laughter followed after. An even bigger surprise followed on Boris' heels. Kavik, a large three-quarter wolf/German Shepherd mix with blinding snow-white fur and faded blue eyes. They were scary at first glance, those eyes, but held infinite kindness and a boundless good nature in their depths once you looked closer. He wore a large stainless-steel silver crucifix on a thick chain around his neck that served as his collar. And – as if to top it all off – he was the largest dog in Nome; 3 and a half feet in height from the shoulders to the ground and a full head taller than Dusty herself.

Yet Dusty wasn't scared or even worried; she knew both Boris and Kavik – though the latter she'd know for her entire life as opposed to the recent meeting of the former. Muk and Luk, however, were completely new to her. Well, maybe _that_ was a bit unfair; she'd never _seen_ them in the flesh before but she'd _heard_ plenty about the two from Kodi in his stories of trying to help the brothers overcome their fear of water – which to-date had only been marginally successful.

"Oh, Balto, you've brought a friend!" Muk cried in absolute glee, bounding forward and sniffing Dusty's nose with his own pink one. "What's her name? What's her name?" He sounded more than excited; he sounded _hyperactive_. Without waiting for an answer, he introduced himself. "I'm Muk and the big fellow behind me is Luk – he's my brother!"

"And a mute." Kavik added, coming to a stop alongside Balto, whom was still a head shorter than the white hybrid, even when sitting next to him.

"Your names be _Pain_ and _Suffering_ by time _I_ done with _you_!" Boris called, trying to get to the two childishly curious polar bears, but was stopped – gently – by Kavik, who insisted Muk and Luk get to at least talk to Dusty.

"After all," he said, with a smile. "Since when do they get to see friends of Kodi's?"

"M-my name's D-Dusty!" Dusty managed between sporadic bursts of laughter. She couldn't help it. The two of them were just so sweet it was funny!

"Ooooh! Dusty! Her name's Dusty!" Muk said, positively delighted by this news. Luk enveloped the still laughing gray Husky in a bear hug and spun her around in lazy circles. (A/N: no pun intended people. That would be lame of me, and the last thing I'm sure you all know I am is LAME.). Dusty, who would've expected the action to be much more unpleasant, was delightedly surprised by the comfort it brought her. This was fun!

"Careful now, she's injured!" Balto called in a warning to the three blissfully happy new friends.

"Ooooohh! We know who you are, you're Kodi's friend!" Muk said, as thought this was the greatest thing in the world.

"Oh really?" Dusty asked. Her loneliness had dissipated for the time being and she was in good spirits. She tired to remember the last time she'd had so much fun and was a little amused to find that it had been during last spring, when she and Kodi had gone wrestling in a field while they and a few others had been playing tag.

"Yep, yep, yep!" Muk replied, grinning broadly. "He talks about you _all_ the time!" he said as Luk released Dusty from the hug and the three of them began a game of Leapfrog, with Luk going over Dusty first so she wouldn't have to strain herself.

"Oh?" she asked, still laughing. "And what does he say about me?" she was wild with mirth.

"He says you're smart…and you're pretty…" Muk said, pausing to jump between phrases "…and you're the best girl doggie on the team" – Kodi's actual words had been 'best female on the team' but Muk was…err…'_special_' and couldn't remember exactly what his friend had said.

"Does he?" Dusty asked, leaping neatly over Muk.

"Mm-hmm!" Muk said, totally caught up in all the fun he was having with his new friend.

This unfortunately, meant he wasn't exactly aware of what he was saying.

"What else does he say?" Dusty asked, not taking much interest in thinking the question out but just asking whatever came into her head.

"He says you're strong…and that you have the most beautiful eyes he's ever seen…and you're more gorgeous than the Northern Lights and…and…" Muk suddenly became aware of what he was saying and Luk tripped over him, sending the larger of the two polar bears into the snow. Dusty was likewise thrown out of whack by the bland delivery of this statement, and so being she too stumbled and went sliding into the snow beside Luk.

Luk made a few grunting and mumble-like whistles as Muk – who Dusty had accidentally sent onto the other side of Luk – appeared over his brother's broad back.

"What he say?" Boris asked, beak hanging open in shock.

"Luk says 'He said one more thing…'" Muk interpreted.

"What's that…?" Dusty asked. Surely it couldn't be any worse than what she'd just heard. She bet you could've fried an egg on her face it was so hot. She'd never been so embarrassed…yet so pleased at the same time.

"…That we weren't s'posed to tell you that…" Muk finished, grinning sheepishly.

((()-()))

Dusty couldn't help but let out a tiny stream of giggles at the thought of Muk and Luk, but the thought of what Kodi had told them about her made her cheeks blaze and her giggles peter off. Well, at least she knew what'd been bothering her, she supposed, her feeling of loneliness…her missing Kodi, in other words…

She tried to make sense of it, even as her eyes began to drift slowly closed as sleep took her into its welcoming embrace. She gave up as she entered the land were dreams are made…and there, she saw Kodi, and the two of them rolled together in the grass again, playing tag and laughing…

'_Kodi…_' she thought as her mind kept filling her head with sweet dreams. '_I…I think I'm in love with you…_'


	5. Chapter 5: The Dreamer

_**Chapter 5**_

_**The Dreamer**_

Kodi was deep in sleep, dreaming sweet dreams, the sweetest he could ever recall having. In his dream, Kodi was walking into a field of wild Timothy and Sharproot Hay, smelling the faint aroma of Spring in the air, the scent of life beginning anew tickling his olfactory senses. The trees were ripe, the air reeking of the sickly sweet smell of pinesap…and of another, more husky smell. The smell of dogs, Kirby, Ralph, Axel, Carlos, and many others, all of them his friends and family. But buried beneath it, woven into and around the scent, was the one of the same…yet this one carried with it the smell of Wild Flowers and red luscious Roses.

And instanly, instictively, he knew it to be her smell, the only one he'd ever known which had the ablitiy to drown him as he was now being drowned. Yet this was a different kind of drowning, one far more beautiful than anything he'd felt before. It was her smell…Dusty's smell. And suddenly, he wanted her, no needed her, needed her more than anything else in the world. He felt that his heart would simply crack and shatter if he could not be with her.

And so, he spurred his legs to propel him forward, into the stretch of plantlife, the laughing, calling voices of the others boring into his ears. Yet he heard them faintly, as if from a great distance, or through murky water. All his senses were tuned to her smell, her voice, the melodious sound of her laughter…He grew hot, his soul burning within him, pushing him, throttling him to even greater speeds in his desperate desire to be with her…

There was an abrupt flash of gray to his right, a giggle like the sound of Angels, and suddenly his nose was assaulted by her reeking beauty, and his head grew strangely light. Yet this did not hinder him, and so he turned, following the flash of color, the vuluptious scent, his mind screaming to him that he must reach her, must be with her, if only for an instant and no more. He went on and on, the chase enveloping every fiber of his being. He could feel his rapidly beating heart, could feel the way his paws passed and thudded on the ground. But none of it mattered…all that mattered was her…He could even see her gray tail and the way her paws stirred up little puffs of dust, and oh, what he would've given to pause and breathe deeply of it, the very knowledge that she'd blessed it with her touch seeming to magnify his need and he pushed himself harder than he'd ever gone before, harder than he'd thought possible by any canine…

She turned, the startling about-face making his franticly beating heart freeze for an instant in his chest. And she saw it happen, and it that instnat, she jumped upon him, laughing madly, tumbling him from his feet with an almost gentle push of her shoulder. He was helpless to stifle a startled cry of amusement and then he was lost, swimming in her smell as the two of them wrestled and rolled together in this place, his laughter now joining hers as they played. The ground suddenly took a slight dip beneath him and abruptly, he found himself lying atop her, with his smiling face struck dumb by the sight in front of him.

He could not believe what his eyes were telling him, and for a moment,could only stare and gape, mouth hanging open like a door left ajar. She lay before and under him, smiling and still letting lose the occasional flutter of giggles. She lay on her back, the dust motes cuaght in the sunlight streaming from above drifting around them. And then he was drowning. Drowning, drowning in a pool so deep and sweet he felt sure he would never be able to resurface. Nor did he want to, so sweet and glorious was the feeling, and all the more did he want to, so great was his need to not simply lay here, mouth open, gaping at her.

All this he knew she saw by the way her eyes widened slightly and her giggles slowly ceased. She herself was falling into him as he was into her, and a savage kind of truimph and pleasure filled him with the thought. He leaned his long, corded neck down close to her. Her smell…God. This close, her scent was…intoxicating and now so thick and strong it was almost a liquid he would've drank if given the chance. He would've drank and drank until his stomach simply burst.. Her mouth opened, lips curving into that heavenly smile once again, and her voice flowed forth, ripping him from the pool of her beauty with the sound.

"…_Kodi._"

The word, spoken by so many others and said in so many contexts and with so many implications, was somehow made unearthily smooth and sensual when coming from her mouth, spoken in the tones of deepest love and affection which he now heard. No, he realized, it was more than that, much, much more! Her voice was exhilarating, too great for words to describe. The spoken description would do not even a tenth of justice to her, not so much as a hundredth!

"…_Yes Love?…_" he heard himself reply, and was astonished at his ability to form intelegent words or even sylobls so close to her. He felt he would do anything she asked of him, no matter the cost or the effort required! His love for her would make even the most daunting of obsticles seem like nothing!

She stared into his face, into his eyes as though they were portals to his very soul. And his gaze was likewise as deep, just as all-seeing as hers was. And in her eyes he saw, was reflected the same amount of emotion and feeling too great to be given justice as merely to be described hence forth as simply Love. The feelings he saw within her were more like a physical nesecity to have him, here, now, with her, forever and for always. As a blind man requires a cane to survive life's chalenges, so he needed her, and she needed him. The depth of feelings passing between them could not be described by any means of communication other than sight and smell and touch. All else fell short of their reality.

"_I love you…_" the words, so simplistic, sent a typhoon of emotion crashing through hiim. She spoke that as though they themselves came from the very mouth of God.

"_And I you…_" he replied, now breathless as well as mystified. He would've stayed this way forever if time permittied it, simply looking and seeing her Love for him would've been more than enough.

He was seized by an instinct so powerfull and so urgent, that he couldn't have ignored it, even under threat of death. He needed to show her see how much he loved her, how deep his feelings ran, deeper than the blood coursing through his very body. His head lowered, and he nuzzled her, her fur seeming to carry with it an electrical charge as it slid against his own. She responded, pushing her head long the underside of his jaw and sending jolts of energy down his back, seeming to fry his nerves.

He licked her cheek, the fur, now free of the grime and blood and dirt when he'd first done it, was the sweetest thing he'd ever felt or tasted. She licked his own cheek in return, sending waves of heat through them both.

Suddenly, the sky darkened as clouds, blacker than tar, spread throughout the sky, blotting out the sun. The wind picked up, seeming to snatch at their bodies as it ruffled their thick coats. He looked towards Dusty and saw her love replaced by fear as she looked over his shoulder, seeing what he, for the moment, could not. He rolled swiftly off her, his need to protect her instantly filling his mind. He would do whatever it took! He couldn't live without her! He would die before he let anyone even touch her again!

As the clouds grew darker still, lightening and thunder ripped through their velvety undersides to flash and stirke the ground and shake the earth. Kodi's lips peeled back in a snarl as his saw a dog-like shape materialize itself out of the grass to stand before them. It was now so dark that Kodi was unable to see who it was, and his nose was already overloaded with a million scents as to be useless.

"_Well, ain't this cute?_" the figure asked derisively, sick laughter booming out again. "_Lover-Boy and Little Miss Bitch going at it, huh? Hope I didn't interupt anything important…_" Kodi could hear the smile in the beast's tone and it made him all the angrier and he growled ferociously. The canine chuckled again, and Kodi was dismayed to see that the light was growing steadily darker, the blackness closing in all around them as though at the beckon of that hideous sound.

"_Hey, hey! No need to get hostile!_" the voice boomed mockingly. _"What's the matter? I get here before you could screw her or something?_" And he laughed again.

Kodi was very frightened now. The darkness was all but complete. He turned to Dusty, thinking that, if he could not protect her, than he would die with her, die with the one he cherished. But he was horrified to find that he could see nothing. Only darkness. He called her name over and over again, until his throat hurt but he kept on and on, fear intensifying with every unanswered call.

"_Ah, don't worry, Lover-Boy,_" the voice, coming from all around him, almost like the voice of God. "_We'll make sure to break her in for you before I kill you both...not that you'll ever get the chance to do your own breaking in!_" Laughter resounded all around him and Kodi screamed for Dusty and cursed the unknown, yet somehow farmilar demon…

And as he asscented from the deep resovoures of slumber, he heard the nightmarish cries of his Dusty calling for help, and the beast's crys of pleasure, mixed with the shouting jeers of two others, both unfarmilar but equally cruel. Their cries muffled her sobbs, but not completely…And oh, how much better it would've been, how much more bearable, if only they did!

"_Kodi! Kodi! Help me, Kodi! Please…help…me…_"

((()-()))

Kodi awoke with a start, eyes wide, panting for breath as the screams repeated inside his head, seeming to rebound off his skull to reverberate like distant echoes…He lay there in his hole, gasping for breath, heart thumping wildly. Such a nightmare…He'd had them before yes, but never one so frighteningly realistic…He shook his head, trying to dispell the bad parts and remember the good ones. He found it helped, a little. Not much, but a little anyway…

He felt the dream seeming to detiriourate from his mind and instincitively clutched at it with a wild, frantic sort of panic. But, it was like trying to hold an all-out sprint forever, he realized as it slowly began to fade into indistinct blurrs and swirls of color, live phantoms seen in fog…But, if remembering nothing was what it came down to, than that was better than remembering the final –

"Hey Kodi…you okay?" a voice asked, making the dog in question jump into the air and nearly shriek with startled fright. Breathing heavily once more, Kodi looked behind him to see Kirby stitting at the edge of his hole, looking concerned.

"Y-yeah," Kodi replied, voice stuttering and he helpless to stop it. Not that he cared much at the persent time, however. "I…I had a bad dream, t-that's all…" he went on, voice low. He could feel his body trembling slightly and welcomed the feeling. Anything to get rid of that insane voice…

"You sure…?" Kirby asked. Kodi's reply only seemed to have caused Kirby's concern to grow rather than shrink. "…Because you were…" he paused as if unsure weather on not it was a good idea to continue. "…You were screaming something awful in your sleep…" He said, clearly uncomfortable. Kodi didn't blame him. After all, he had been screaming in his dream, and if what he could remember was acurate, then Kirby and the others must've though he was in agony.

'_God, I must've scared the poop outta everyone…_' he thought and another shiver slipped donw his spine, this one smaller than the last. "Such a horrible nightmare…" he whispered, his voice shaking. So real…

"Sorry Kodi, I couldn't hear you, what'd you say?" Kirby asked gently.

"N-nothing…" Kodi replied lamely, unable to think of anything else. He felt heat rising to his cheeks, but couldn't bring himself to do anything but look down at his paws. His heartbeat had finally slowed to its normal pace though and that was something.

He stood abruptly, and leapt lightly from his hole in a single liquid motion, pausing only briefly to stretch and releave the stiffness in his joints. He turned to a slightly puzzled-looking Kirby and said, "Well, c'mon! Aren't we going to miss breakfast?" and then trotted off towards where the others were already gathered and awaiting the morning meal.

((()-()))

Kirby remained where he was a moment longer, still puzzled. He shrugged, after a few moments of consideration. Kodi was obviously uncomfortable with something in his dream/nightmare and couldn't talk about it just yet, so that was that. Besides, it was none of Kirby's business to press his friend about anything like that…Such things were personal, and sometimes best kept private.

Discarding these bothersome thoughts, Kirby quickly followed in the younger dog's footsteps, towards where their Master was preparing to dole out the morning's ration of fish and dry food.

((()-()))

They were hitched and moving along the trial once more in the usual fifteen or twenty minutes. Breakfast had almost been normal. _Almost_. Forest, having finished his portion and after looking around and spying Nova's not quite finished one, made his move. The result had been a short, but furious scuffle, one which – thankfully – had ended in a draw, as their Master, in no mood for unnecessary delays, had laid the lash into Forest, who swiftly backed down, affording Kodi and the others ample time to snigger as the bad-tempered brute received his long overdue reprimand.

This incident had put Kodi and his friends in unusually high spirits – their moral had lessened somewhat with the removal of cheerful and good-natured Dusty in return for the foul-tempered Husky – and for most of the day they made better than their usual time; Kodi himself felt as light as a feather, and was almost able to forget his horrible dream in the aftermath of such a pleasing sight.

But the dream never completely left him. Something about the situation, or more specifically, something about the _voice_ troubled him. It was so familiar that it was weird. Yet he couldn't for all the life of him, figure out who it was. It'd been a…bad voice. That was all he could say for sure, it'd sounded…like some hideous monster. The Boogeyman maybe…or…

He pushed the idea away. Best not to think about it for now…besides, there was work to be done. Yet all the same, while he managed to push the dream itself away, thoughts of Dusty, of his newly beloved, rose to take its place. He felt the pang in his heart again and this time recognized it for what it truly was; he didn't just miss Dusty, he _needed_ her. '_I…I love her…_' Kodi thought and as if at this very invocation of the truth, some immense mental wall seemed to crumble and suddenly, he felt better than he had for longer than he could recall, even before the horrendous addition of Forest.

But with this mental let-go, something new came to take the place of the wall; a seed of doubt, of worry, had been planted within his heart and he thought '_I love her…but what if she doesn't return it…?_' This in itself was, at the moment, too depressingly horrible to think about, so he did his best to store it to the junk-bin at the back of his mind.

He pushed on, now building the pace until they were traveling as fast or faster than they had the day before. He tried to use his now slightly achy body to distract his troubled, milling thoughts of Dusty but didn't succeed quite fast enough to stop one last troubling whim:

What if she didn't love him…? What would he do then…?

He didn't know, and the realization sent a shiver of unease through his body.

((()-()))

At the end of their first half of the day's run, Kodi and the rest of the dogs instantly halted at their Master's command and sat or lay in the traces, panting with their tongues lolling from their mouths, the hot air from their labored respiration condensing into small individual clouds as they rested. All were too tired for the usual little dose of good-hearted horseplay, and even Forest did nothing but eat his ration of food before merely lying down and seeming to pass out. Kodi was barely able to eat his own ration before simply collapsing on the snowy ground where he lay, exhausted and mulling over the various thoughts swimming throughout his head one last time before allowing sleep to claim him for a brief catnap.

A deeper dislike of Forest had been growing within the Husky all morning, albeit a simple cause of an unknown effect; he was plagued by a feeling that the albino Husky had something to do with Dusty, a suspicion that seemed ludicrous even in his own head. He attempted to dismiss the idea, using the excuse that Forest wasn't that kind of dog. Oh sure, he was mean, and he could be very infuriating at times, but Kodi just wasn't able to picture Forest as someone who'd be cruel enough – let alone having the guts – to take on someone like Dusty all alone. '_Stupid turd would probably chicken out and go running home to his Mommy if he tried to take on Dusty._' This thought, combined with the mental image of Forest doing just that while Dusty followed behind, throwing insults at him, was enough to make Kodi smile broadly.

Dusty had been beaten, yes. But by Forest… Nah! He just couldn't buy that…besides, it wasn't like he was evil or anything…

((()-()))

Dusty's eyes opened and this time, were not blinded by sunlight – she'd been careful to pull her basket out of the reach of the radiance that would spill through the window in the morning last night before turning in – and she rolled out, yawning expansively and licking her muzzle. She got to her feet, and felt relieved when not jolt of pain sprang through her body when she tried to move. '_Looks like I was wrong! I'll be back on the team in no time!_' she thought with utter glee. She was even tempted to let out a little barking yip, which she did with great pleasure. In truth, she was very thankful; after her somewhat chaotic little romp with Muk and Luk, she'd feared her tumble over the smaller polar bear might've only made her injuries worse.

Very happy, she went outside, even going so far as to hum a little tune as she did. After doing her business she walked out front to watch the sunrise, something she'd grown quite fond of recently. But this morning's was different somehow…and then she knew why; Kodi, that's what was different. She was helpless not to stare at the spectacle and wonder if he was also gazing at the blazing ball of orange flame or getting ready to head off, or even just finishing breakfast for that matter. She sighed. She supposed now that she'd finally recognized her feelings for what they were, she would be helpless not to think or worry about him…

'_Until…Until I tell him how I feel, that is…_' part of her thought and at the mere idea she felt her innards clench. She'd never be able to work up the courage to tell him…besides, what if he didn't feel the same? Come to think of it, why would he in the first place? She was no particular treat for the eyes to begin with and now, she supposed, even less so with the numerous wounds and the scars they would leave, however faint…

'_And why would he want me after I was nearly rapped anyway?_' she thought, '_after all…I'm unclean…_' This was, as we know very well, not at all true. She had been beaten, yes, and badly too, but the monsters who'd done it to her had never gotten the chance to fulfill their last, and most disgusting need; they hadn't gotten the chance, and so she judged that had been a little too harsh. She wasn't dirty…

'…_But it was a near miss all the same…_' that agonizingly childish part of her thought again, and this time, instead of listening to it, she swatted it aside as if it were no more than a fly. She didn't care, and knew from experience that Kodi wouldn't either. If he loved her like she loved him then none of that would matter. But what if… And that was the pure hell of it! That stupid '**_IF_**' part!

"ARRRGGG!" she moaned in a guttural cry of frustration. She'd never imagined that a single two-letter word could cause her so much grief! An old proverb suddenly came to her, one created by her life-long friend Kavik – who was also Kodi's Uncle, go figure. (Who saw THAT coming?) As she could best recall, it went something like this:

_If, the only word in the English language a thousand letters long…_

It had always made him laugh. Then it hit her; Kodi's _Uncle_, of course! Kodi must've tried to explain how he felt to someone, and if not his parents than she could at least ask Kavik if he'd said anything about her to him. As far as Kodi's parents, Balto and Jenna went…yeah, like she could just waltz on up to them and ask a question like that. She giggled as she played out the possible line in her head.

'_Hi, I'm Dusty. Remember me? I'm on the Mail Dog Team with Kodi. Anyway, listen I've got to ask you guys something; did Kodi ever say…oh, I don't know…that maybe he was in love with me or anything like that?_' She snorted with mirth. Yeah, right! She'd be caught dead before she just went off asking people stuff like _that_ right out of the blue! Then a sudden, shockingly logical idea came to her, and it when it did, it seemed so obvious that in truth, it was a little scary.

'_Why not ask him yourself, then? After all, what could be more perfect?_' her Mother's voice resounded in her head, thought this time it sounded more like when she and her brothers and sisters had been planning a prank on Dad that their Mother had been in on more often than not. And she had to admit…it did sound tempting…But no, fist she would confront Kavik and then, if he didn't give her the wrong kind of answer…she would ask Kodi himself…

'_I must be going crazy!_' she thought as she started off in the direction of Kavik's place of residence.

'_Love makes us do strange things, Dusty…_' her mother's voice replied, chuckling. '_Trust me, I of all people should know!_'


	6. Chapter 6: The Guide

Since I know I owe you all major league for not updating in…god-knows how long, allow me to explain; I haven't been updating because this last grading period, I spent too much time on IM talking to Eagle205 and Nighteyes and not enough time on my schoolwork. And…my grades fell so my parents put me on 'house arrest' if you will. And, as if that weren't enough, my beloved dog Shadow (my faithful furry companion of 10 years) passed away last month and that weekend, I was involved in a car accident where the vehicle fishtailed, missed a telephone pole by about five inches and ended up in a ditch – no cause for alarm; no one was injured and we were all wearing out seatbelts. In short, I've been having a rather rough time of it as of late… I've just gotten back on for the first time in about a month and a half and now I'm trying to make up for all the lost time. Thank you all so much for bearing with me! Sorry to all those whom I have caused to go through KodiXDusty fulliness withdrawal! I hope these chapters are beginning to appease you!

_**Chapter 6**_

_**The Guide**_

Kirby huffed and puffed, struggling to keep up with Kodi as he continued to lead them on at this crazy pace. He found himself wondering – and not for the first time since they'd set off – why the young rookie who'd grown to become Lead Dog was so set upon reaching Nome in what would surely be record time? He mulled it over in his head, considering all the possibilities and the most likely one of all. The big pup was in a hurry to get to Dusty, of course…. Youth was wasted on the young…. Then Kirby suddenly stumbled over a rock buried in the snow and nearly fell, hearing Ralph give an undignified little grunt behind him. He regained his footing almost at once but internally moaned at the comment he _knew_ was coming.

"You're pulling to the right _again_, Kirby!"

"Will you please…do us all a favor…and keep your…ugly mouth shut for once?" Forest snarled in between strenuous gasps for air from behind the dark gray husky, making Kirby feel even less happy.

"Don't tell him…what to do…_Tree-Hugger_!" Growled the dog behind Forest. Nova was his name, one of the sons of Kaltag and Tricksey. He'd come up with the infuriating and amusing nickname himself and used it whenever the opportunity was presented, much to the displeasure of Forest and the delight of Kodi and the rest.

He was golden furred with a white underbelly and had large, dark eyes the color of German chocolate. The eyes themselves usually shone with the lightheartedness of a carefree spirit coupled with a deep admiration for his job. But, in light of their current situation, the burnished glow had gone out and his murky orbs were narrowed in irritation as he pushed on, moving with that seemingly tireless endurance possessed by the young.

"Don't tell me…what I can…and can't do…_Goldilocks_!" Forest spat back, making Nova call Forest something Kirby wasn't quite able to catch. It sounded something like 'Snowflake' but Kirby wasn't completely sure. As he caught Ralph preparing to defend Nova out of the corner of his eye, their oldest member decided enough was enough. At this rate, a fight would be inevitable and God knew what would happen if it did and they were still moving at this speed!

"Ralph…don't waste your breath," he called back, "And Forest…will you kindly…shut your…" Nova let out a short bark of a laugh as Kirby resorted to using four or five choice words his mother never taught him. " – Mouth…so we can concentrate." Kirby finished; feeling much better now that he'd finally used the words that actually applied to the replacement dog, the russet Husky returned his gaze to regard the snowy horizon.

Forest seemed eager to retort, his eyes flaring up at Kirby's insult but said nothing; he'd either decided not to push his luck or was simply unable to conjure the spare oxygen needed to engage in verbal communication. Either way, Kirby's dirty little sentence had done the trick and the team was once again silent save for the frenzied rasp of their breathing as they struggled to keep up with Kodi's seemingly suicidal pace.

((()-()))

Kodi increased his speed, pushing his sore body beyond his usual limits, never minding the way it seemed to cry out in protest at this harsh treatment. Mouth hanging open, his breath a steaming furnace in the crisp, cool spring air, the rust-colored canine was oblivious to all but the throb in his chest as his heart beat faster with his need to see Dusty, to feel the contact of their furs together, to be drowning in her scent…. So intent was Kodi upon reaching his home, not to mention his (hopefully) soon-to-be-lover, that he hardly noticed the argument brewing between Forest and his teammates until his ears caught the white furred Husky's snarl of "Goldilocks" to which Nova retorted with a reply that the wind ripped away before Kodi was able to catch it.

As he was about to slow up a bit to be better suited to put a stop to the bickering – God knew what would happen if he or somebody else didn't and a pile-up was the absolute _last_ thing they needed at the moment – Kirby took charge. He was unable to repress a snort of laughter as he heard the older dog's short but heated stream of curses at Forest, who was apparently silenced by this show of verbal abuse, because the team quieted soon after and Kodi once again felt them moving as a single unit which signified their renewed concentration on the run.

Their speed automatically decreased a bit as they ascended the final steep array of low mountains that were all that was left separating them from Nome. This was partially due to the understandable – and potentially harmful – strain that would've been piled on their already worn-out bodies had they attempted to keep their rapid pace on such a sharp incline, but it was by no means the only reason for their slight let-up. That morning, Kodi had been hell-bent upon covering the remaining distance in as little time as possible for reasons already known not only to us but to most of his team as well – you couldn't really blame Kirby for spilling the beans on Kodi's feelings for Dusty; the rest of the Mail Dogs had practically begged to hear what was going on with their leader. But as they approached their destination, that feeling of doubt, of self-insecurity had crept up on him again and now he was reconsidering his decision to tell Dusty how he felt….

'_I'll just tell her how I really feel._' Side A of his mind said, the part that was completely sure of his newfound feelings.

'_That's crazy! She doesn't even like you!_' Side B of his mind shot back, this one being the part that feared rejection.

Side A, '_No it's not!_'

'_Yes it is,_' Side B insisted, clamoring for his attention, '_she never even –_ '

'_She was the first one to follow along after you when that Bush Plane pilot was stranded in the woods._' Side A interjected calmly. '_She got the rest of them to follow you…_'

'_Coincidence!_' Side B roared, but it sounded slightly panicky in Kodi's opinion.

'_She's been working her ass off to get farther up the harness…just to get closer to you._' Side A shot back. '_What more proof do you need!_'

He sighed in frustration as the two factions in his brain continued to war helplessly, each now in equal standing. Why did life have to be so complicated? He wondered, shaking his head slightly, nearly growling in irritation.

'_I'm gonna' go crazy before I tell her!_' he mentally cried, and heard a humorous and full-throated laugh inside his head.

'_Ah, don't worry about it,_' a voice, that of his Uncle Kavik said, and Kodi could almost hear the grin in it. '_You won't go crazy…. Not for too long, that is._'

Kodi rolled his eyes. '_Thanks for the encouragement, you sly white furball…_' he thought back, but was helpless not to smile the tinniest bit. It would all turn out right in the end…or so he desperately hoped.

((()-()))

Dusty stopped, her body poised a mere five feet from the rectory's oaken door. That was weird. It almost felt like…. She swung her head around, sweeping the road with her blue-eyed gaze. She'd had the strangest feeling of being…watched. But that was stupid! It was the crack of dawn! Nobody was awake at this hour except her, and hopefully Kavik…. Right? Less convinced than she would've liked, she closed the distance between herself and the wooden barrier, and began to scratch gently at the wood, whining softly down in her throat.

She didn't have to wait long. Kavik appeared after not even ten seconds, coming to the door so quickly that for a moment she had the absurd notion that he'd been just inside the adjoining room, waiting for her summons. His face said otherwise. His head came poking out of the doorway, blue eyes blinking and squinting slightly like a mole exposed to sudden sunlight. He looked down – he actually had to, seeing as he was almost a head taller than she – and his look of slight confusion vanished to be replaced with a smile that lit up his face.

"Hey, Dusty! Been a little while since you came to visit me! Please, come in, come in!" He pushed the door open wide enough for her to slip past him and into the small entry room beyond.

After closing the door, he turned around and she couldn't help but smile in the face of that cheery expression. "Hi uncle Kavik!" she replied giving him an affectionate nuzzle as he leaned his down and returned the gesture. She may not have been related to him by blood like Kodi was but that still didn't change the fact that he was like a second father to both her family and Kodi's. The two had grown up under his watchful blue eyes, and he'd held them captive for hours on end with many a great tale in addition to playing and romping with them practically every day. He'd even once gone so far as to risk life and limb for the two of them and had nearly been killed in the attempt. If that didn't make him family than nothing else did in her book!

"It's been almost a month! I haven't seen you or Kodi for more than three minutes in one sitting." He laughed and she found she still loved the sound of it when he did. It was something you just could never get tired of hearing, she'd discovered a long time ago. "They're working you pretty hard!"

Dusty joined in, her laughter pealing off the walls to echo around the room. "Yeah, Kodi's one dedicated Lead Dog!" She grinned slyly. "'_Neither snow, nor rain –_ '"

Kavik's smile grew into a grin as he took up the slogan; "'_nor sleet, nor hail –_ '"

"'_Shall stop the US Mail!_'" She recited, and giggled.

"Catchy…quite possibly irritating after a while." He said, still grinning. "Kodi come up with it?"

She nodded, her own grin surfacing. "He's made it into our motto…" she said. "And once he said it so much that Ralph claims that was all he heard in his dreams for a whole week!" They both laughed.

"Yeah, that sounds like something only Kodi could do!" He chuckled and then something about him changed. It might've been only a subtle shift in his facial expression or perhaps the way his eyes flicked momentarily from hers. Either way, when he spoke again, his voice sounded less happy. "So…how are you feeling? Any better since…since what happened a few days ago?" He asked, after a short and slightly awkward pause.

"Better, much better than I thought I would after what happened yesterday when…" She broke off suddenly, cheeks flaring up at the remembrance of Muk spilling the beans about Kodi's confided words in them regarding her, and she fell suddenly silent.

"I…I feel so sorry for you…." Kavik said suddenly, and all thoughts of her own embarrassment instantly vanished as Dusty saw a tear fall from the corner of his eye. "You didn't deserve what happened to you at all…" He suddenly gave a little chuckle and there was only the barest flicker of humor in it. "When I heard…I was absolutely furious." A corner of his mouth quirked, "Ask Balto when you get the chance. He and I were in the Forest together with my brother Kemo when we all heard. I tell you, we were so angry, and I just about went on a nuclear rampage back to Nome. But thankfully Balto and Kemo managed to dissuade me from doing anything too rash …"

Dusty couldn't help but give a small smile in light of this statement. The thought of Kavik on the prowl through the woods, wanting to kill – or at least horribly maim or maul – the animal or animals responsible for his Niece's unjust thrashing was somehow comforting. She was rewarded with a fit of giggles as she further imagined him forced to reduce some piece of wood to splinters when unable to vent his frustration upon the culprit.

He gave her the sort of look that she could read all too easily; amusement mixed with slight annoyance. "Oh sure, _you_ think it's funny now, but Balto, Kemo and I were spitting mad when we found out…" Kavik let out a long, low whistle and shook his head slightly. "Man, _Kemo_…Well, at least now I know for sure we're really brothers…I didn't think anybody but me and Balto could get so _pissed_, but _he_ was all but _foaming_ at the _mouth_…" Kavik paused, seeming to consider something. "Actually, now that I think about it, we all were. I've never seen anyone so mad before…with the possible exception of Jenna and your Mother, of course."

This only caused Dusty's giggles to bloom into laughter that in turn, caused Kavik to join her. It felt good, being able to look back on what'd happened to her and know that so many others were as mad, just as concerned as Kodi had been. "Yeah…I could tell Kodi was really mad too when he found me in the alley…it was kind of scary…" she broke off again, cursing herself for possibly revealing her reasons for coming here in the first place to her already intuitive companion.

"That was quite an…'interesting' little transaction yesterday evening…" Kavik ventured. He'd been looking distractedly off in the direction of the congregation chamber where his owner, a kind-hearted Priest named Maverick Lupus, could be faintly heard reviewing his sermon for Sunday morning mass. Now, she saw his eyes flick to hers for an instant, and was suddenly and impulsively sure that he knew why she'd come here and she felt her heart flutter in her chest.

'_Okay, okay, don't panic…just be calm and natural, don't make yourself look like a ditz…_' she told herself, gulping and feeling a familiar lump. "…You could say that…" she managed, pointedly not looking at him. This was so _awkward_…

"Dusty…" he said softly, and she could tell by his tone that he was smiling. "…Is there anything you want to talk about…?" He made the question sound incredibly casual, even though she could tell by now that he was fully aware of her predicament. She fidgeted slightly, searching for words to begin and finding none. This was turning into a disaster and –

"It's okay," he said, and she somehow found the courage to look at him. His face was the picture of gentleness itself, and he wore a very kind little smile. "I know what's bothering you…you love him, don't you?" He didn't use Kodi's name but then again, what was the point? He didn't need to anyway…

"…Well…I…that is…uh," she stammered, heart beating furiously. She could actually feel the blood pulsing in her face. "…Yes…" she finally managed, "I…I do. I love Kodi…"

"And…you're afraid that he might not feel the same about you?" Kavik pressed gently, after a brief pause to let her gather her wits. His smile grew as she nodded, and she again averted her eyes, still embarrassed despite her trust in him. She'd though he might laugh when she did, but he never so much as sniggered. Instead, he rubbed her gray head with his own white one, reassuring her that it was okay, that all was well. "I understand," he said, and she felt a smile rise to her lips despite her still burning cheeks as his eyes sparked and he went on. "I know how strange this must feel to you, believe me, I should; I was in love myself a long time ago…" he chuckled and her smile grew, some of the heat draining from her face as it did. This wasn't so bad…it was actually a relief.

"What…what if Kodi doesn't feel the same way…about me?" she asked, knowing she was being repetitive, but not really minding; she had to tell this to someone or it would drive her bananas. "What should I do then?"

"I don't think I'm the right one to answer that question…" Kavik replied, and when he saw the way her face fell, he continued. "The only person who could really do that would be…"

"Kodi…" she finished for him, looking at her paws again.

"…But," Kavik said, and Dusty's head snapped up, her eyes alight with hope. "If it's any consolation, I'd say you don't have much to worry about…."

Dusty's heart leapt in her chest and for an instant she thought she was about to pass out. "W-what do you mean?" she asked, heart beating very fast now.

Kavik let out a small cluster of amused chuckles before replying. "I've seen the way he looks at you out of the corner of his eye when he thinks nobody's looking…. And he always gets a far-off sort of look in his eyes when he tells me about how much he admires your spirit…." Her Uncle's smile suddenly bloomed into a grin. "He even let it slip once he thinks you're more beautiful than the sunrise on the first day of spring and that you smell like Wild Flowers mixed with milk and honey." He chuckled again as he saw her face turn thirteen different shades of red.

"He…he didn't say that…did he?"

"Not exactly," Kavik admitted, still grinning, "but then again, I've known the both of you since you were pups…" He laughed. "I can read you like a couple of books!" He nuzzled her affectionately once more and the feeling of his fur was wonderful in its old familiarity as he pulled back and looked at her, pride blazing in his eyes. "I can't tell you for sure how he feels, that's something you'll have to find out for yourself. I can tell you this, however; I know he cares for you, and very deeply I might add…"

She returned his nuzzle, her smile beaming out at him. "Thanks Uncle Kavik…for everything."

He chuckled and shrugged. "Hey, it's what I'm here for…" he replied. "Now, you'd better get going…I imagine there'll probably be a certain Lead Dog pulling into town soon in an hour or less…" He gave her a wink. "Go get your man, Dusty. Show him what you're made of…."

With one last nuzzle followed by a quick lick to her Uncle's cheek, the young Husky turned and trotted off out the door, her pace giving not even the slightest hint of how her recovering body was starting to ache from all this unaccustomed and strenuous movement. She smiled. The world suddenly looked much brighter than it had before and there was a slight spring in her step, despite her injuries. "Kodi…" she sighed, and her heart skipped a beat. Her crafty Uncle may not have come right out and said it, but he'd given her the answer she'd been seeking nevertheless.

She could now only wait, and hope that what Kavik had told her was accurate.

'_But no matter how you feel, Kodi…I'll always love you…_' Her heart murmured and she continued on down the road back to her house. Little did she know, she was not unobserved in her coming and going from the church, nor in the matter of her conversation with Kavik either; A pair of maliciously bright golden eyes had watched her every move…and the ears had recorded every word that had passed between the two of them…

((()-()))

Sabbath held his position, waiting until the Gray Bitch had disappeared around the corner and even then he did not shift until a full minute had ticked by. When he was certain neither the Bitch nor her wolfen Uncle were going to make another appearance, he slithered out from under his hiding place and began working his way back to the shed where he, Pride and Forest usually stayed. He grinned devilishly, eyes burning, very pleased by his own cleverness. Oh, Forest would _LOVE_ this; he'd eat it up like it was chocolate or the very waters of life.

He'd followed the Bitch's scent from a distance, being sure to keep to the shadows. In truth, he'd been both very confused and utterly furious; forgive the bluntness, but when he killed someone – or at least thought he did – he was used to them staying down for good. He'd gotten around her and had watched from a distance of perhaps twenty feet away in an alley as she prepared to enter the church. He'd felt a momentary twitch of unease when the Bitch had looked around but wasn't too worried; he knew the ways of camouflage well and she wouldn't see him unless he wanted her too. He'd watched her go inside and, after waiting perhaps thirty seconds or so, had worked his way towards the church, finding the hidey-hole that led under the floorboards of the old structure with ease.

That half-and-half mutt Balto might think he knew where all the little nooks and crannies in this town were, but long experience had taught Sabbath that there was always a veritable maze of passages under almost all structures. It was simply a matter of knowing where to look and how to gain access without detection. There he'd lay, contentedly listening to every word that had passed between the two friends, though he'd had to strain his ears mightily to make out their conversation owing to the absence of floor gratings in the place that would've allowed sound to be more easily conducted.

He'd grinned with malign pleasure as the wolf – or so Sabbath assumed him to be, judging from the smell – named Kavik had told the Bitch about how angry he and his brothers had been when they'd found out. Oh goody! It was always so much more satisfying when you could hurt and enrage so many people by abusing just one of them. The rest would always follow suit, like dominos aligned in a complex system, setting off a delightful chain of events.

In most cases that was, and now the system had been fudged up. Sabbath had known Forest would be none too pleased to discover their troublesome victim had survived – if he wasn't aware already, and that in itself was very likely. So he had listened with greater intensity, his intuition already whispering to him of the probability that his white Husky friend would want to finish the job, and sooner rather than later…the sooner, the better as the old saying went.

After perhaps half-an-hour, the Bitch and the Wolf had parted ways, and Sabbath for one had been very relieved. Their talk had been an extremely dull and utterly nauseating discussion dealing with Love, Emotions, Rejections and a whole lot of other bullcrap that just listening to had made him want to vomit up anything and everything he'd ever eaten. Thank God it was over now….

The snowy Samoyed gave his head a brisk shake, temporarily ridding himself of these thoughts so as to be better suited for the task at hand, namely getting back home whilst avoiding all detection or contact. Couldn't be seen wandering the streets in the wee hours of the morning, now could we? No, that just wouldn't do, wouldn't do at all! It might look mighty suspicious to some prying eyes…especially if that Balto mutt or any of his do-gooder friends happened to catch sight of one of the new dogs slinking around town…. Some didn't trust the three of them already, and it would not be wise to increase their suspicions and perhaps rouse those of others who had until then remained neutral. No, that would leave the wrong impression, and Sabbath had a feeling that if something wasn't done in the matter of Little Dusty, a.k.a. 'Gray Bitch', then the three of them might soon find themselves in hot water, VERY hot water at that. Water that might be hot enough to boil them alive…

'_Ah, but now there's the matter of the Boyfriend as well,_' he reminded himself, spitting a guttural curse into the snow at the realization. '_Yes, Pretty-Boy, Mr. Hero…_' The bastard who'd spoiled his fun with the young dog, in other words. Yes, now that he thought about it, Sabbath decided that one more body wouldn't hurt…it might actually turn out to be pretty entertaining. His sadistic mind reeled and his golden eyes glinted as he mulled over all the possibilities….

Draw them out into a secluded place somewhere…or, maybe they wouldn't have to. From what he'd just heard, the two of them were practically _dieing_ to screw one another and what could possibly be more romantic than a little passion in, say, the field out near the woods? Yeah, he liked that. Liked it very much in fact. Lure – or perhaps follow – the two out of town, ambush them while they were at it, maybe break Kodi's legs and force him to watch as they took her…. Yes, somewhere along those lines.

Had Sabbath been a mortal man instead of a dog, he could've easily been the precursor of such well-known serial killers as Ted Bundy, Albert Fish, Charles Manson and maybe even the Son of Sam. Such was the state of his warped mental recesses. He loved to kill for pleasure, and did it at his leisure whenever an opportunity equipped with a clear getaway was made clear to him. He'd always wanted to butcher a couple – the idea of two lovers dying in a bloody embrace had always seemed to portray some sort of ironically poetic type of justice in his eyes – but had never gotten the chance…until now, that was. He'd talk to Forest about it, although he knew the Husky would have no problem with taking out Kodi as well. Besides, having Pretty-Boy there would give Pride something to play with while he and Forest worked on Dusty…yes, that would be grand…_splendid_ even.

"…And, maybe, before we kill her, we could finish what we started back in the alley…" Sabbath muttered to himself as he rounded the last corner and came upon the tiny shed that served as their home. He chuckled, and the sound was as twisted and crazy as mind from which it had come forth. '_Oh, this is gonna be _so **much FUN**' he thought, and slipped inside the shed to fill in Pride…

((()-()))

Kodi picked up the pace as the town drew ever nearer, now running so fast that he was almost dragging the rest of the team in his powdery wake (as it was, it was all they could do to keep up with him). The sled was bouncing and bumping along behind him, the harness taught against his flexing muscles, the leather making subtle creaking noises with the amount of strain born upon it.

Forest was mentally and physically spitting curse after curse, each dirtier and more vulgar than the last, his chest heaving with the effort needed to keep up this crazy pace. His lungs were aflame and his heart felt ready to burst. It was beating so hard that the albino Husky thought he could actually feel the fist-sized muscle hammering away against his sternum. Oh, he would _get_ Lover-Boy for this if it were the last thing he did! 'I'll fix him, but good!' he mentally snarled, 'I'll see him go down, groveling in dirt like the filthy piece of trash he is, him and his little Dustykins as well!' He suddenly felt an involuntary surge of relief as he saw Nome come speeding into view. They were almost there, by God! Perhaps just another half mile and then he was free!

Reenergized by this knowledge, he found the strength to simply – forgive the expression if you will – 'dog it out' with the rest and keep going, his tongue now lolling from his red maw of a mouth, his eyes bulging with effort. Finally, when he though he would be able to stand it no longer, they pulled into town, scattering pedestrians and strays to and fro, the sled now transformed into something that resembled a long, irregularly shaped bullet pulled by several smaller blurs that were emitting harsh barking sounds. They gradually slowed, the sled coming to rest directly in front of the Post Office.

The dogs fell, literally dropping into slump-shouldered heaps and gasping for breath, all with their tongues hanging out, their chests rising and falling with amazing rapidity as they struggled to slow their furiously racing hearts. There was none of the usual banter between them; they were all so fundamentally exhausted that it took almost a full ten minutes before they began to acknowledge the presence of others in addition to themselves.

Forest was aware of the Postmaster come striding out onto the porch, his jaw hanging open as their Master handed him the week's sack of mail, but felt not even the barest flicker of interest at his appearance. The two men began a conversation to which the albino Husky paid absolutely no heed as the Musher bent and began unhitching the team from their harnesses, beginning with Kodi, who looked, despite his obviously great reservoirs of stamina, like he was both suffering from an asthma attack and ready to simply pass out where he had just managed to gain his footing. Even though his condition was no different, Forest felt a surge of satisfaction at the sight. '_Oh, how the mighty have fallen…_' he thought smugly, and felt a smile spiteful smile grace the corners of his mouth.

Turning a disinterested eye to his left, he noted with something like horrified disgust that Little Miss Bitch was standing off to the side in an alley, looking like she was ready to yark or something. Forest usually would've sent her a growling snarl of hatred, but under the circumstances, all he could manage was a low 'woof' that was barely audible even to his own ears. And, judging from the way Dusty's head did not so much as twitch, his show of hatred went unheard by her as well.

Then he saw Pride and Sabbath skulking around the corner of the General Store and his attention suddenly peaked, causing him to sneak a furtive little glance towards the rest of the mongrels just to make sure he was still unobserved in his actions. Kodi was being greeted by a furiously blushing Little Miss Bitch, not to mention Mom and Dad; Mr. Cocky and Mush-Brain were too busy messing with each other to notice anything, and Nova was being nuzzled by his own parents. There was a rather large white wolf/dog lying on the porch near Pride and Sabbath, but his eyes were closed, and he looked to be currently engaged in a nap. Excellent, the coast was clear then.

Having caught most of his breath, he gained his feet – not without considerable struggle- and padded over to where his two fellow conspirators sat, sparing a single, hate-filled glance back over his shoulder at Kodi, who it seemed, had been called off to the side and was walking away, so he of course didn't notice. Good. The albino Husky took up a seat before the other two, and was immediately verbally assaulted by Sabbath, who seemed very eager to tell him something.

"Slow up for a minute, will ya?" he growled, and Sabbath at once quieted. "Now," Forest went on, after taking another look around for potential eavesdroppers, "what the hell's so bloody important?"

"Well," Sabbath said, his voice low and silky, signifying that whatever he was about to entrust was very juicy indeed, "you won't believe what I overheard Gray Bitch and that white Wolf" – he tipped his snout in the direction of the canine asleep on the porch not ten feet away – "talking about…" he grinned.

"Really? Well, why don't you fill me in and then I'll tell you what I managed to snag off of _Lover-Boy_." Forest listened, his heart rate once again soaring as Sabbath recounted the conversation he'd overheard. This was the best, even _better_ than what he'd expected! This would make things much simpler by far!

"Very good my ingenious little buddy, I should've known I could count on you." Forest complimented him after his tale had come to a halt. "You did very well. Do either of you have any idea what this means?" Pride was the only one to shake his head, but looked just as excited as Sabbath and Forest himself did. "Well then, allow me to fill you in on my little excursions…" In the span of fifteen minutes or so, the Husky's tale was spun out, and he saw that Sabbath at least, immediately grasped the implications of their now vastly improved situation.

"So…" Pride said, speaking up for the first time, "we're gonna' snuff em' both out now, are we?"

"Yes sir, you bet you _ass_ we are." Forest replied, almost laughing now. "We couldn't have little Dustykins living long enough to possibly remember something and then spill her guts to her new Boyfriend, now could we?" Sabbath sniggered. "If he found out, he'd tell the other dogs, and then – oh, how can I put this? – Our gooses would be very cooked. No, we've got to get rid of them both now…but that shouldn't be a problem as far as we're concerned, right boys?" He grinned and the other two shook their heads, identical serial killer's grins spread across their faces.

"It shouldn't be any problem at all…in fact, with what I've already thought up, it could turn out to be very entertaining indeed…" Sabbath replied, his eyes gleaming murder-bright. And with that, he leaned in and relayed the beginnings of his plan to Forest, whose grin grew larger with every word spoken by the Samoyed. Oh yes, this would be a Grand-Daddy of a blast, you could take that to the bank…


	7. Chapter 7: The Misgivings

_**Chapter 7**_

_**The Misgivings**_

Kodi's head lifted as his breathing started to return to normal. He was bushed; his lungs no longer burned with each respiration, but his heart was still beating relatively fast within the confines of his chest all the same. His eyes followed suit, and his tired but triumphant gaze was met with that of his parents, who beamed and looked upon him with pride blazing from every aspect of their being. In fact, so much pride could he see in their regard, that it made him feel a little embarrassed. Still, he would not shun them simply because he felt somewhat conspicuous, and so he moved forward on the hard-packed snow and met them halfway. He smiled with contentment as they each nuzzled him in turn. "Hi Mom, Hi Dad," he said, not without enthusiasm, returning their shared nuzzle of affection and feeling his embarrassment slip away.

"Good to have you back son." Balto said, pulling back and taking in Kodi's state of weak-kneed exhaustion, his face growing distorted with surprise as he did so. "My goodness Kodi," he said, staring at the way his son's muscles were all but thrumming beneath his fur (so tired was the red Husky in fact, it was a wonder he could stand upright at all). "You certainly made it here in record time…but I think you might've pushed yourself a bit too much," he concluded, voice laced with concern.

Jenna's own smile faded somewhat as she too took in Kodi's (forgive the expression if you will) dog-tired condition. "You shouldn't push yourself so hard, Kodiak." She said her voice edged too with worry. "I know you're proud of your job and you've probably set a new record for the fastest delivery time, but still…" she chanced a glance over Kodi's shoulder to observe Kirby and Ralph, who were, of course, at it again and messing with each other. "That's a good way to get yourself hurt…"

"Oh Mom, stop worrying so much all the time!" Kodi replied, helpless to say otherwise and unable to suppress the smile that formed on his lips even as he spoke. He just couldn't help himself; she was just so overly concerned sometimes… "We're all fine." He assured her, his smile broadening into what could almost be called a grin. Jenna still seemed a bit worried but her thoughts regarding his physical state of well being – whatever they may've been – were assuaged (or more accurately, _interrupted_) with the arrival of Dusty, who, despite her no doubt painful circumstances, looked as happy and chipper as ever she had in the good old days.

She walked over, smiling almost as broadly as Kodi himself was. He noted the slight limp in her gate, cause being the right hind leg, but other than that, she gave absolutely no indication that she was in any kind of pain whatsoever. Did he think she was the toughest female sled-dog he'd ever met? Brother, you'd better believe it.

He admired her strength and…well, it was the truth wasn't it? Yes indeed, can't deny it now. He admired her strength…and he _loved_ her all the more for her spirit, which burned deep inside her heart with such a fiery passion that not even the direst of situations could faze her. The fact that she just happened to the most beautiful dog he'd ever laid eyes upon – Husky or otherwise – wasn't bad either.

Wait.

Scratch that. Dusty was not merely beautiful; she was a _vision_, a queen who made canines whom before he'd viewed as red hot angels from Heaven look like nothing more than shabby posers by comparison. In short, she was absolutely _gorgeous_ now that he finally took the opportunity to observe her properly…which was to say, in a romantic light.

"Hi…Kodi." She said, her voice sounding beautiful beyond description.

He blinked, and then suddenly realized that he must've been staring at her for a space of at least a minute or so, and his cheeks flared up and he tried to tear his gaze away from the sight of her. He found the action to be amazingly difficult, but he somehow managed it and then simply stood there looking at the snow for perhaps five seconds before remembering how to form words and thereby communicate. "Hi…Dusty," he said, his voice sounding lame even to his own ears, knowing he must be making himself look like the world's biggest fool right about now but helpless to do anything about it. He risked stealing a glance at her…and saw a curious thing; Dusty's face was as red as his own must've been, judging from the amount of warmth he could feel baking out from his fur. Her eyes were likewise distracted with something of apparent interest, for she only met his gaze for that single instant when he had chosen to look upon her before hurriedly averting her eyes once more.

'_Hello, what's this I spy?_' Kodi thought dimly in a small section of his mind, the only part left that wasn't currently engaged in resisting the urge to simply stand there, ogling Dusty like the goddess she was; that was something an idiotic pervert like Forest would do, and he wasn't about to sink that low – not that he ever had, as far as he could remember. Something was up…but what?

'_Oh _come**on**' That annoying voice exploded in his head again, momentarily destroying any and all coherent thought. '_Don't tell me you're such a dullard that you can't figure it out for yourself!_'

A curious thought occurred to Kodi just then. Well, it couldn't really be classified as a thought if you stopped to consider it really; it was too brief. A more accurate description would be that what Kodi experienced was more a flash of misguided intuition. How unfortunate for him… His mind suddenly concocted a – at least to us – ludicrous idea, summoning a mental flash of images from his half-remembered dream-fantasy with his Love in the field. He saw himself on top of Dusty again, saw himself leaning down to kiss her, but this time, instead of meeting his furry lips with her own, Dusty promptly jerked her head violently to the right. At the same time, he saw her pivoting her body, struggling and succeeding in wrenching herself out from where she'd lain beneath him, her body having been pinned between himself and the ground. She shook herself, trying to rid her fur of the reeking musk that had been Kodi's. She then promptly trotted out of the clearing, pausing only once at the summit of the hill they'd rolled down only moments before. There, she looked back, and Kodi imagined seeing a mixed look that was part regret and part shame. Their eyes met for only a second and then she turned and was gone from view.

The feeling – or rather fear – that Kodi was imagining was one shared by most if not all who have ever experienced the insistent prod of Cupid's arrow in the hollow of their breast. Not for the first time in his life, the fear of rejection, of being turned away, gripped Kodi's tender young heart like a vise. The fear of feelings left unrequited and being shunned to forever dwell upon what could've been but was not destined to be. Simply put, Kodi's newly acknowledged fear was that Dusty, having realized his romantic intentions, did not return his feelings and was therefore made uncomfortable due to what he was trying to press her with.

"Kodi?" she asked suddenly, causing him to blink in slight shock – for he had been in deep thought before roused by the melody of her voice. He risked looking into her face, and saw her eyes were alight and shining with some indescribable emotion, ears turned to face him and pointing to the sky, eyebrows slightly raised. Disillusion turned her look of concern into one that said, '_What's wrong with you? Don't you get it yet? I. Don't. Love. You. What are you still doing here?_'

Misreading her facial expression and the love and hope burning behind her eyes for a look of embarrassed pity and discomfort, Kodi thought, '_She's right; what AM I still doing here, staring at her and drooling like an idiot? I'd don't stand a snowball's chance in Hell with Dusty._' Accepting this false realization, Kodi's face fell slightly, and his head lowered as if in placation. "Yeah…Dusty?" he replied in a low rasp, striving to make himself sound uncaring but only succeeded in making himself sound slightly exasperated at her query.

"How did it go?" She asked. Kodi couldn't see her face because he was currently concentrating with all his might on the snow-covered ground before him, but she sounded slightly hurt…close to tears in fact. '_She's upset because she didn't want me to take it this way,_' he thought and felt guilt settle into his bowels like a lead weight. '_I'm causing her to feel this way. I'm responsible, _me_. She deserves better than this…She deserves better then me..._'

Still in that low, now slightly depressed-sounding voice, Kodi replied, "We…we had a good run. Made it back in record time…." He drifted off, uncertain and then went on, "I'm…kinda tired and…I don't want…to keep you out here longer then necessary; you're…still hurt." With that, he turned his back on her and walked off, oblivious to the shared look of concern that flashed between his parents as he passed them. Dusty's face crumpled into a look of utter shock mingled with deep sorrow, a few tears trailing their way down her cheeks as she watched her beloved depart. But Kodi, with his head lowered, his own tears of anguish slipping from his eyes did not see…He merely plodded on aimlessly down Main Street…

He passed by his teammates, who noted his condition with shock. Ralph moved as if to try and console his young leader, but Kirby barred his way with a forepaw, raising it against the dark gray husky's chest like a tollgate. When Ralph gave him a look that asked _'What in the name of all that's Holy is wrong with you? We've got to help him!_' Kirby merely replied with a slow shake of the head, his wise brown eyes stony; '_No. It's not our place. It's something Kodi has to deal with on his own. It'd be wrong to interfere._' For a minute, Ralph looked as if he was considering just saying to hell with what _was_ and what _wasn't_ their place, but then realized the wisdom in Kirby's simple statement, and he subsided.

So, left unhampered by family and friends, the russet husky continued on, deaf to the semi-indignant calls roused by those he bumped into on his blind path. He knew not where he was headed, nor did he care. He was oblivious to everything except the pain he felt inside himself, beating with a steady rhythmic pulse in his heart …

((()-()))

Kodi's newfound emotions may've being roiling within him, vying at once for control and immediate attention due to his idiotic fear that one wrong move would leave him with his undying love forever unrequited, but the same could be said for Dusty, in a way.

((()-()))

As she continued down the street from Our Lady of Serenity, Dusty tried to contemplate what she would say to Kodi…and then quit; just thinking about it made her feel slightly nauseated. Her face clouded as she tried to work out possible scenarios based upon her words nonetheless. She saw herself met with acceptance, flushed embarrassment and shock (maybe – and somewhat hopefully – all three). As she neared the main road, her resolve faltered, and for a brief instant, she considered blowing the whole thing off, just leaving everything the way it was. After all, what she was about to confide in him had the slight – but nonetheless disastrous – off chance of destroying the bond of friendship she shared with Kodi. Above all else, her worst fear was that she would somehow severe their bond of friendship, all for the sake of love.

Just think…all connections between the two of them might be lost by the mere utterance of the four simple words '_I love you, Kodi._' Her heart shuddered at the thought and she once again considered the easy way of simply turning around now and slinking back to her Master's cabin, thereby forfeiting all hope of Kodi's love.

She shook her head violently, trying to clear her mind of these stupid and useless thoughts. She was only partially successful as a nugget of unease still clung to her heart like a booger you can't flick off the end of your finger. Reminding herself that nothing worthwhile was obtainable without some element of risk, she straightened herself, wincing slightly at the pain now spreading through her leg. It was getting worse, and she knew it, but sometimes you just had to grin and bear it, as she knew from her experiences pulling the line with the others.

Pausing only long enough to take a few steadying deep breaths, she strode out into the street which was currently flooded by both human and canine alike; it was what passed for Rush Hour in Nome. Walking though the mass of bodies – most headed in the opposite direction – Dusty moved steadily towards where she knew Kodi to be, hailing those who shouted cheerful greetings and adding a thanks to any who also wished her a speedy recovery. She finally emerged to stand just a few feet from where Kodi and the rest were gasping and laboring for oxygen, chests and sides heaving like of bellows.

Trying to ignore the suddenly consuming pain that flared in her right hind leg, Dusty winced and tried to bear it as she forced herself to move forward, all the while desperately trying not to let on about the amount of pain this was causing her; by the time she reached Kodi her grime determination was the only thing keeping her from simply collapsing in a heap. '_I'm not sure how much longer I can keep this up,_' she thought, in a slightly shaky voice that didn't sound like her own in the least. '_My legs feel like rubber._' Kodi hadn't noticed her yet. Maybe she really should wait for him back at the house…. It would be better for her, she knew that; she'd already used the leg far more than was healthy in her condition and Kodi would be so pleased to see she'd been taking care of herself…. This idea was so powerfully persuasive that she nearly turned and limped away but then she suddenly though of how Kodi's face became that of an angel's when he smiled, and her strength was multiplied tenfold. The pain would be worth it, if only for just one of those heart-melting smiles of his…

She felt a smile of her own creep over her face as Kodi turned to her and she had to work mightily in order to control an emotion she couldn't quite put a name to as Kodi turned to regard her, that angelic smile she remembered blazing out at her, despite his obvious exhaustion. She felt as though she could've suddenly confessed her love for him right there and then, regardless of the crowd of spectators that would've been present. But, luckily – or perhaps it is not so luckily; you will have to form your own opinions on that subject when all is said and done – she managed to suppress this compulsion and instead searched for something to say. Anything would do, even the most mundane, the most idiotic query would suffice.

But she couldn't; her mind temporarily short-circuited as she grasped what her eyes were telling her.

She was not blind; never think it. She saw how the mere sight of her smiling face brightened Kodi's countenance, and her heart immediately flared with hope. Dusty, it is fair to say, was elated and yet at the same time still plagued by self-doubt, even then. She told herself that she was fine; she was whole and pure, and not tainted and spoiled. She heard Kavik's voice saying, '_Go on Dusty; go get your man. Show him how you feel_'. Yet…she hesitated. It wasn't as though she doubted her uncle's words – her trust in his judgment was absolute (he was, after all, family). The true cause of her uneasiness was caused by the reoccurring thought that, not matter how much she might try to console herself, Kodi would never find a dog so plain and unattractive as she to be even remotely interesting. But Kodi's attitude seemed to suggest otherwise…didn't it?

Still slightly unsure, she decided that enough was enough; if she was going to act, there had never been a better time. "Hi…Kodi." She said, trying to sound smooth and melodious, but feared her voice came off as one of a person who was reduced to utter helpless when confronted by someone as cute as Kodi was. Horribly flustered, she felt her cheeks flare up and she found herself unable to meet his eyes.

"Hi…Dusty." he replied, also sounding somewhat embarrassed. Dusty's heart soared and she felt light-headed. God…if just the _sound_ of his _voice_ was enough to cause her to feel like this, then there was absolutely no point in denying her feelings for him (not that she had been, anyway). She realized she had been staring and quickly averted her eyes to the white powder beneath her paws, feeling her face light up like a bonfire all the same. What was wrong with her, why was she acting like such a love-struck pup? '_Don't be so hard on yourself,_' Triksey's voice reprimanded her in the midst of her self-accusations. '_You're not very far removed from puphood yourself, you know; you're only three…_' Okay, so she was…no, don't start that up again. It's not helping anyone. She risked a glance up at Kodi to check and see if he'd seen the way her face had rapid undergone it's rapid change in color.

"Kodi?" she asked, and felt her heart stop as their eyes met…and then felt strangely wilted as Kodi looked away…almost guiltily, it seemed.

That was really all it took to start those troublesome wheels turning in her head; she saw Kodi, late at night, crack open an eye to see if anyone was watching. She watched as he crept around their sleeping forms to slip out the doggie door and once clear, run off down the road at a full-on sprint. She kept pace with him and soon they stopped at an alley. She watched as Kodi stuck his head in and called softly out to someone, and a figure began to materialize from the shadows thrown by the two buildings. Her jaw fell open as she saw a female Husky with radiant black and white fur come stepping gracefully out to meet him. They nuzzled and licked each other…and Dusty watched it all.

((()-()))

She suddenly knew that this vision of their midnight lovemaking was infallibly and inarguably true and her spirit simply crumbled and fell with the crash of a china cabinet that has been tossed from a sixth story window to shatter on the concrete below. Mustering what was left of her willpower, she tried to force her voice into sounding chipper and carefree as she asked; "How did it go?" meaning, of course, the mail run. She succeed only in part, for though her tone sounded convincing enough to her own ears, it could not stop the slight treble she detected in her voice, nor could it banish the tears that wanted to fill her eyes and go streaming down her cheeks.

She hoped and prayed with all her might for what her heart told her not to be true…but in the end, it seemed to be of no avail. Still in that low, now slightly depressed-sounding voice, Kodi replied, "We…we had a good run. Made it back in record time…." He drifted off, looking uncertain and then went on, "I'm…kinda tired and…I don't want…to keep you out here longer then necessary; you're…still hurt." His tone had gone from depressed to guilt-ridden in the span of only a single sentence.

Then, the single most devastating that could've happened at that moment did; Kodi, with ears and tail still lowered, turned…and began to plod slowly away. '_He…he…he turned his back on me…_' she thought and though she tried to fight her tears, she could no longer hold them back, and a few slipped down her cheeks as she watched her one chance at happiness – one chance for love – reject her, practically in front of the whole town.

And suddenly, just like that, she didn't care anymore. Not just in regards to Kodi but everything, even herself. Nothing mattered. She didn't even twitch as her Master, who having recognized his dog came forward to whisk her off back to the house. What was the point anyway? Weary, heartbroken and now in a lot of pain, Dusty allowed herself to be snagged tenderly by the collar and lead back to the house under her Master's alert gaze. Her tears fell in rapid succession, staining her beautiful coat but she no longer minded. After all…what would be the point?

((()-()))

Balto watched with a sort of shocked fascination as Kodiak, his son, Lead Dog of the Mail Team walked past. His expression – which had, up until that fateful moment, been one of boundless joy on Kodi's behalf – abruptly changed to one of perplexed concern. Something wasn't right about this…and it was a big something. Instead of the proud and content young dog he had been expecting, he saw a young dog who looked as if he'd just been told he had what the vet called 'cancer' and had only three days to live. His once broad smile had been replaced by a grimace of pained anguish and his head and tail sagged limply, as if in defeat or placation. What struck his father most, however, were the tears he saw trailing down Kodi's cheeks. Kodiak had almost never cried in his life; even when he was a pup and crying had so often been a response from his siblings in certain situations, he himself had only stood or sat with downcast eyes and ears whenever he had needed to be scolded or – worse – punished. Yet now…here he was, shedding tears as if he'd been doing it all his life.

Whatever – or whoever – had hurt Kodi enough to cause him to revert to such an extremely advanced state of misery must've been very near to his heart. In fact, it would almost certainly have to deal with someone he cared for deeply or even…

Balto's eyes widened in shock as the realization hit him like pure dead weight in the pit of his stomach. Yesterday evening…at the Trawler…he had run into Dusty and she had had a good playful romp in the snow with the two 'special' polar bear brothers, Muk and Luk. They had been playing leapfrog and one of the two bears had forgotten himself and let something slip about what Kodi thought of a certain young female on his team…

'_Dusty…_' he thought with rising trepidation, his heart sinking even lower as he turned to scan the crowd for her. '_I don't get it,_' he thought, mind working, brows knitting together in confusion. '_I thought Kodi loved her…well at least that's what Kavik and Jenna said…_' he thought and then his mind suddenly went from a confused jumble to an utter blank as his found Dusty. He saw her being led away back to the house by her Master… And her face was almost a mirror of Kodi's own. Their feelings could've – heck, probably _were_ – identical for he saw that she too had her head and tail submissively lowered and, although he couldn't get a good enough look at her face to be able to see if she was crying, he had no need to; he could smell her tears from here…which could only mean that she wallowing in the deepest depths of sorrow.

Utterly flabbergasted and temporarily out of sorts, he looked towards Jenna, intending to explain the situation and ask her opinion on what they should do – if anything at all – about what had transpired. But, as their eyes met, he saw that his words would be in vain; he could not tell her anything she herself did not already know from the looks she saw on both his face and Kodi's.

"Oh Balto…" she sighed and he could tell she herself was close to tears, which was a rarity even for her these days, "what are we going to do?" her eyes shone with love and sympathy for her forlorn son as she watched him depart. "I don't understand…why would Kodi…?" She trailed off, seemingly unable to find the words to finish.

The Hero of Nome offered his condolences with a comforting nuzzle. "I'm not exactly sure…" he replied, stealing his own glance at Kodi's retreating figure. "But…I think it might be best…if I talk to him after he's had some time alone to think."

"But how will you know where to find him?" she asked.

"Oh, I think I have a pretty good idea where he's headed…" Balto said with a sympathetic of his own for the emotionally traumatized canine. "…He is my son after all…" he concluded. With a comforting lick and nuzzle from Jenna he set out with a heavy heart towards the Old Trawler…

((()-()))

Author's Note:

Ohhhhh! Bet none of you even dreamed you'd see something like THAT come up! I'm so twisted! Sorry if you're miffed about the whole thing, but we all know it'll work out in the end (and besides, the whole 'Kodi comes back, busts Forest and Co. and Dusty melts into his arms just like that with nothing else happening' just isn't me). As I said before to Eagle205, I am and probably always will be a bit of a romantic…

I'm in the process of working on Chapter 8: The Lovers at this time – about ½ way done, maybe – and I've a bit of bad news; the story is beginning to draw near its end. There are probably only two or three more chapters after this one! I really hope you guys liked this! Don't forget to REVIEW PLEASE!

LoL

BaltoLuver63


	8. Chapter 8: The Remedy

This chapter was very hard to write…probably the hardest yet and the rest should come to me quite easily I think (I'm a bit of an old hand when it comes to Romance fics…with a splash of action/comedy here and there to spice it up.) I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter a lot…sorry for the really long delay, but I've been very busy with Track practices (they take quite a bit out of me) and it's become a bit hard to find time to get this all written down what with School, Track practices and Church Youth Group meetings to attend to. Oh, and I'm also in the midst of producing an independent film with a few of my good friends. I've been drafted to write the screenplay, select the musical score, draw up the storyboards, direct, co-edit AND act (and the screenplay isn't even complete yet…but that's my problem, not yours so just forget everything I said, okay?) Sorry…my ramblings have gotten away with me again! Just read on I say!

_**Chapter 8**_

_**The Remedy  
**_

Dusty's head hung low as she allowed herself to be led away at a timely pace by her Master toward the small shed where the team spent their nights sleeping under its solid roof. She knew but didn't care where he was taking her; he could've been taking her to be euphemized and she'd have gone quietly. She was beyond caring at this point. How could she? Her mind was still reeling, still attempting to make sense of what had just happened. Kodi had…had…had rejected her… Was it possible? Could all this just be a bad dream that she would wake up from at any moment, only to discover that Kodi had not yet returned…? The actual likelihood of this foolish idea was made very plausible by her still grief-racked mind…and for a while, after her Master had made her comfortable in her little basket with her soft blanket draped over her trembling form, she considered that this might be just the explanation…

She tried to sleep, knowing that all of this would evaporate in the fantasy world occupying her dreams…but such a peace would not be so easily attained. Still she tried, rolling over and over in her small basket, squeezing her eyes shut against this cruel world that had seen fit to curse her with so much pain and misfortune… few minutes later, she discovered that this action had the opposite effect of the one she'd intended to achieve; instead of peacefully escaping her present condition of sorrow, she was forced to relive the look in Kodi's eyes every time she tried to close hers and drift into a silent slumber…

Finally, it became too much for her heart to bear and she simply lay there and started sobbing, trying to rid herself of the pain she felt in both body and heart. Her tears flowed like two identical rivers down the angelic slope of her cheeks to stain the wooden floorboards beneath her. '_Am…Am I not good enough for him? Is that it…?_' she asked herself, looking through red-rimmed eyes out at the noonday sun, which was just now beginning its descent into the western edge of the horizon. She racked her brains feverishly…No, she decided, that couldn't be it…at least not on the whole….

Was it because Kodi was concerned that if they admitted their feelings and then let their emotions get the better of them and they started a family before proper plans were made, it would interfere with their jobs on the Mail Team? Her head sunk to the floor as she considered this newest possibility…Was his job really so important to him that he would sacrifice the one who loved him for just one more day to '_pull the line_'? Storm clouds gathered on her brow. If such was the case…then she had made a serious mistake in judging his character! Was he…? Could he be so cruel as to do such a thing…?

'_Stop it, Dusty,_' she suddenly chided herself, '_you've no right to judge…as you yourself decided that you'd prefer to wait until you were through '_pulling **your** line_' before you started looking for someone to settle down with…_' And Kodi…she suddenly felt a flare of resentment spark in her heart. Who was he to make such a decision? Who was he to decide when their hearts should be open to one another?

The flash of anger that rippled through her wall of grief cleared her frazzled mind somewhat…enough for her to force her unwilling body to assume a sitting position so as to enable her to see out of one of the small windows facing the avenue of the main street, to check to see if Kodi and the others were coming…they were apparently still either celebrating or had not yet caught enough of their wind yet to start off for either the house or the boiler room, for she saw no one on the team coming in either direction. She sighed, hanging her head again, retreating into herself. What was she supposed to do? She felt like she was dying inside and she knew she was in the grips of a serious depression…

_What should I do?_ She questioned herself once more. And, to her immense surprise, an answer actually came to her; talk to someone. But who was left to turn to? Any dog she trusted enough to discuss something of this magnitude was still celebrating with the team…except perhaps her mother. She hadn't been conscious of much when she was led back to the house…but now she remembered that her brother Nova had left only a few minutes before the 'falling out' between her and Kodi…so maybe they were home by now.

She felt a tiny sad smile rise to her lips. It was worth a shot…besides; she needed to get this off her chest. And who better to talk it out with than her mother? Who better to understand where she was coming from? Well, with the exception of Uncle Kavik, but he was probably still napping in front of the General's Store and that was too far a trip for her to make at this point, all else aside. So her Mother Tricksey would do just as well – if not better than – anyone else…

With her course of action decided, she forced her tired limbs to support her slender weight once more – hopefully for one of the last times that evening – and began her slow journey to call upon her mother for guidance…

((()-()))

Kodi trudged on down the street, never mind where his paws were taking him, as long as he was going somewhere…away from everyone else. His tears continued to course slowly down his russet cheeks. Why? Why, in the Name of God did the world have to be such a heartless place?

He had at first tried to forget Dusty immediately, to put her out of his mind; to dwell upon what had passed would only prolong his suffering, this he knew to be true. But…he couldn't. He tried to tell himself that it wasn't true, the he was better off, that it would've complicated his life far too much…but he knew all that to be bullshit even as he began to ascend a sizable snow-covered hill on the very edge of Nome.

He couldn't deny it. He still had feelings for her…Dusty. He still loved her, even if she didn't return his love….

His footing suddenly slipped and he had time for a single yipping curse before he tumbled, end-over-end down the snowy mound, sending the white powder flying in all directions as he did. He whined in frustration as he finally stopped. The world was a spinning mass of gold, orange and pale blues…he shook his head, trying to clear it, but this only made things worse and he was forced to simply lie there whilst he waited for his vision to focus again. When it at last did and he managed to roll over and pull himself into a sitting position, he saw that he was only a hundred yards or so from the Old Trawler, a decrepit naval vessel that had long ago grounded itself on the beach. He simply sat for a moment, contemplating the thing. This had been his Father's home for six years…this ragged, weather-beaten hunk of rotting lumber had served as housing for him up until he had met Kodi's mother. The whole story of his saving the town and becoming a legend had followed of course, and his dad had gotten his girl in the end too. The two had fallen in love and upon discovering that Jenna was pregnant with Kodi and his siblings, Rosy's family had adopted Balto.

Kodi scowled at the old place as he began to move towards it, meaning to take refuge from the world within its craggy interior – it had served his father well enough in such times as these, had it not? True, he _had_ spent his fair share of nights sleeping on the derelict with his brothers and sisters during the summers when they were but yearlings and he had a bit of a soft spot for it….

However, all that had been wiped from his mind when he and his siblings had been but four months old. Following Star's – an old friend of his father – narrow brush with death following an encounter a mysterious wolf pack, there had been a meeting called by his Uncle Kavik and Balto. He, Kodi – along with his five other siblings and all six of Kaltag and Tricksey's own pups – had been left aboard the boat during the meeting in the care of Uncle Boris and Miss Sylvie.

Then, in the blink of an eye, members of the pack that had terrorized Star had captured their group. They'd fought as much as they could – which wasn't much at all; they'd been far too young – but had eventually been overpowered by the larger group who had then herded them into the bowels of the Trawler whereupon they were locked up. They had been rescued by the concerned canines of Nome…well almost all of them, he corrected himself as he paused on deck to survey the view of Nome from his new vantage point. He and Dusty had been forced to remain the captives of an evil and nefarious wolf named Juji, who had hoped to use them as a means by which to lure his hated enemy Kavik into his seeking paws. He had been thwarted of course, but not before his angelic Uncle had paid with a grievous wound which proved nearly fatal, courtesy of the iniquitous lupine….

Kodi smirked a bit in spite of his heartache as he padded into the splintered wreck of the ship's cabin and lay down in one far corner. Now this old wreck served only as a reminder of those dark days…and of the friends lost during Juji and Kavik's long and agonizingly brutal game of cat-and-mouse. His thoughts snapped back to Dusty again as he remembered those first terrifying moments with Juji's pack…he still couldn't believe any animal could do that to one of their own…such unbridled animosity… He unknowingly shivered as he recounted the fate that had befallen one of the wolves assigned to guard himself and the rest onboard the boat….

Dusty…she had been there too, hadn't she? Yes…she had. The two of them had watched with horror and had then buried their faces in each other's downy fur, trembling with fear and shock at the briefly witnessed execution. He could still remember how she had clung to him…and how _he_ had clung to _her_ for that matter. His eyes slipped closed as he tried to recall her scent back then…had she still smelled of vanilla and wild roses? He shook his head. …Nay, her scent had not yet ripened to such a heavenly aroma; back then she had still emitted the fragrant reek of wild flowers and…and something else…something sweet…sweet and somehow exotic…

"…Honey…" he breathed as he lay with his eyes closed. Yes, that unusually pleasing scent had still been hers…mayhap was hers still, though now less potent. He suddenly found himself remembering how she had looked at him back in Nome, the way her eyes had flashed…and how she had cried, how _he_ had **_made_** her cry…

"Oh…_Dusty_…." He sobbed, his voice hitching and cracking as he began to cry once more. His eyes felt hot and prickly, the tears like liquid sulfur in his eyes before they streamed down his furry face. He curled himself into a small, shaking ball of fur, covering his face with his long bushy tail as his grief and depression took hold of him. Finally, when merely crying ceased to satisfying the pain within his heart, he lifted his head and voiced a long, truculent howl of despair which rang and carried on the wind towards Nome and the surrounding forest…

"Dusty…Oh God…_Dusty_…I…I _love_ you…"

((()-()))

Balto had felt his heart twist and his soul cry out at the sound of Kodi's lamentations…Such sorrow…God, but in that single rolling howl of grief, Balto had heard and sensed more despair and unhappiness than he himself had ever felt. The only thing he could've compared the feelings he'd interpreted from that agonized wail of self-pity was how he himself had felt when his mother had died when he was just a pup…But Kodi had sounded (if it was even possible) worse than that…

He began to question his decision to come as quickly as he had; mayhap Kodi hadn't yet enough time alone to himself…only a few hours had passed since he'd gone lopping away from his team after the mysterious incident involving him and Dusty… As for himself, Balto would've preferred to have let Kodi alone for a longer period of time (maybe as long as two full days) before confronting him…but Jenna, having heard the sound made by her beloved son, had implored Balto to seek out the young canine and give him what counsel he could and, upon having heard a second howl of the same variety as before not ten minutes ago, Balto had agreed and followed Kodi's trail with both ears and nose to where he now stood before the gangplank leading to the poop deck.

Even from here, he could smell his son's tears and their salty scent stiffened his resolve somewhat. He was now glad that Jenna had insisted so earnestly; if ever there was a time when Kodiak needed him, now was it. He padded slowly up to the poop deck, following the paw tracks strewn over the snowy boards to where he found his son, curled in a ball in one corner of the old ship's cabin. He wasn't sobbing anymore…but the scent of his sorrow as still fresh and strong.

"…Kodiak?" he asked gently, slowly sticking his head into the cabin. "Son…? Are you-"

"Please…Just…leave me alone…" came the expected reply from the distraught young canine.

"Kodi…listen, I know how much pain you must be in right now…believe me, I understand-" He faltered as his son suddenly cut him off.

"Dad…Please!" Kodi cried, exasperated and grief-stricken voice cracking violently as he spoke, "can't you just…just leave me alone…"

"I just want to talk…"

"Well, maybe I don't!" his son suddenly ejaculated, turning to glare at his father with red-rimmed eyes through which tears were still seeping.

Balto sighed. "Fine then…have it your way…sit here in this dark, cold little room, feeling sorry for yourself…but just know, if this is the kind of dog you really are, then I just can't understand what Dusty sees in you for the life of me…." The heroic hero of old shook his shaggy head sagely, eyes downcast. "Are you just going to give up on her that easily?"

"What the hell's the point?" he retorted, glancing embarrassedly to the side for an instant. "I…I love her. I love her with all my heart, I'd die for her, but none of that matters because she…she doesn't love me."

"This doesn't sound like my Kodiak at all…" Balto said, and despite his son's request, he padded into the cabin and lay his great shaggy bulk upon the floor a few feet from Kodi. "That…sounds like a quitter to me…."

Kodiak's eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed in anger just as quickly. He, Kodiak, son of Balto and Jenna, a _quitter_? The nerve…! He would be damned before anyone – even his own father for that matter – ever got away with accusing him of ever giving up on anything! "What's that supposed to mean?" he growled defensively. "I'm no quitter!"

"Sure doesn't look that way to me." His father replied in that maddeningly calm and sensible tone that had always drove Kodi crazy when he was younger and had lost none of its effectiveness. "Quite the opposite, in fact." he said, getting up and moving a bit closer to his son, "I must say…I didn't expect something like this from you Kodi."

"I'm not giving up! I'm just…" Kodi started, then trailed off, realizing the truth in his father's words. "I just…I just don't know what to do!" He cried out, whining in frustration, his eyes screwed tightly shut in silent agony.

Balto allowed himself a small smile. Kodi might know a lot about running and pulling a sled but he had quite a bit to learn in the ways of Romance. "Kodi…" and when the hybrid received no answer, he repeated himself, his voice gaining a slightly steely edge to it now. "Kodiak!"

Kodi's head flew up and he jumped, literally jumped, his body hovering an inch or so above the deck upon which he lay. He looked at his father with alert, yet somewhat fearful eyes. Long experience had taught him when his father took that tone, you shut up and listened, and you did it in a hurry. "Yeah dad…?" he asked, his grief seemingly forgotten for the time being in light of the elder's abrupt change in attitude.

"What's you job?"

"Huh?" This question was so backwards from any he had been expecting that for a moment, Kodi found himself unable to do anything but sit an gawp at his father's expectant face. "My…my job?" he asked feeling his cheeks flare up as he realized that he was actually being forced to search his memory banks for the answer to a question the response to which said answer should've been inbred by now. "My job is to deliver the mail to Nome…" he replied. He had absolutely no idea where his father was going with this but decided to hold his peace for the time being.

Balto nodded, seemingly very pleased by this. "That's right. Your job is to deliver the mail to Nome…. Now, what do you have to do in order to complete that task?"

Kodi squirmed uncomfortably. "Uh…Run? Pull a sled?" he answered, his voice rising a bit at the end, turning the statement into something that was almost – but not quite – a question. His brain felt murky, his mind clouded, like he had given a wrong answer to a disapproving teacher.

His smile broadening the slightest bit, Balto raised a forepaw and twiddled it from side to side in the universal gesture for 'sort of'. "Close, but no cigar. What must you, as the Lead Dog of your team, do in order to see to it that you and your teammates do everything within their power so that your job is done properly? Think carefully…"

Kodi shook his head. He was now more confused than ever, and if this didn't start making sense soon, then he would be hard-pressed to simply make a bolt for the door to find a more private place. "Dad…I'm sorry…I don't – "

"You were almost right on you first guess. You're right, you must run…but" Balto added, again holding up one paw like a witness taking the oath, "you must also race, race against both time and yourself. That is what it takes to see that you do your job."

Kodi couldn't take it anymore. He groaned in exasperation and got to his feet and began pacing around the cabin like a caged beast. He shook his head, looking to his father with utmost befuddlement. "I don't get what this has to do with me giving up on Dusty? What's – " he began, but was gently interrupted by the older and more experienced canine.

"Think about it. When you started off, were you the best from the start? Did they make you Lead Dog on your first day on the job?"

"No, but – " Again, Kodi found himself cut off, albeit gently.

"Exactly. You had to work at it, let your muscles get stronger, let your body get used to some much movement for such a long time, didn't you?"

"Yes, of course I did, but I still – " For the third time, his father's cool, levelheaded tone cut the rest of his sentence off.

"And on one of your first runs, you were late on a few of your deliveries weren't you?"

Kodi let out a moan of annoyance. "Yes but – "

"Did you give up?" his father asked, and Kodi – who had been on the verge of simply walking out the door – froze and simply gazed at his father.

"What? No, of course we didn't!" he retorted, in a somewhat indignant snort. "What sort of sled dogs would we be if you just decided to quit after missing one time?" He felt a small, thin smile slide onto his tortured face.

"My point exactly." Came his father's brisk reply, and when the flummoxed dog in front of him did nothing but continue to stare, eyes narrowed in confusion, the wolf/dog went on. "Kodiak, there's something you have to understand; love is a lot like what you and your teammates do; you race yourselves. When you fall down, do you just give up? Do you say '_Oh, well, I tried my best but I guess I'm just not cut out for this,_' and go home?" Balto paused for a moment, giving his words time to sink in, to get through to his love-stricken son. "No, you most certainly do _not_. If you fall, you get up and you start over. If you fall again, you get up again. If you _still_ fall, you get up on your paws and you do it as many times as you have to so that you get it right."

Balto rose to all fours and strode over to where his son now sat, starring at him, understanding just beginning to dawn in his chocolate orbs. "You try and you try and then you try some more, if that's what it takes, son." He allowed himself a brief grin. "Me, I was lucky; my first and only love was your mother, so I guess you could say that I really don't know what it's like to be rejected, to be told to get lost by a woman you love – "

"Dusty never told me to get lost…" Kodi interjected softly. He was suddenly looking very ashamed. How could he have been so stupid?

"What?" Balto inquired, inclining his ears towards Kodi "What do you mean she never turned you away?" His eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "Isn't that why the two of you looked so…well, so depressed when you left each other?" Now it was Kodi's turn to have the advantage over his father.

"Well…not exactly." Kodi replied, almost in a mutter, his cheeks burning high. "She…she never really said anything to me except to ask me how our run went…" He couldn't even bring himself to look at his father's dumbstruck face.

"You mean to tell me," Balto said, speaking very slow so as to be sure that his words were quite clear, "that you turned your back on her and she didn't even tell you she wasn't interested? Kodi…" he trailed off, at a temporary loss for words. "I can't believe you'd be so foolish…"

"Well, she was…she was giving me this look." Kodi replied, intensely aware of how lame this sounded, attempting to defend his integrity without being consciously aware of his actions.

"Did you…did you make any sort of move towards her? Something she'd take – "

"No."

"So she doesn't even know how you feel about her?" Balto asked. He half-sighed, half-moaned in disbelief as his son gave a short shake of his russet head. "Kodi, how can you even know she has no feelings for you if you haven't even told her yourself?"

"I…I guess I don't." Kodi said, as he himself reached this same conclusion within the confines of his own head. A change had been rippling through Kodi during this last part of their conversation. The burning sensation in his cheeks began to retreat, his eyes widening as they shone with newfound hope and joy. By now, his entire demeanor had undergone this slow but astonishing transformation and he now jumped up, tail wagging from side-to-side, his muscles jumping and twitching in anticipation, ready to be off in search of his love. "But, there's only one way to find out…." He said, risking a quick look back towards Nome. His composure suddenly slipped, and his face fell slightly.

"But…but what if she still doesn't feel the same about me?" he asked, looking to his father again.

Balto offered him a wide, comforting smile once more. "If you fall, you just have to learn to get back on your paws and start over…but I don't think there's much chance of you having to worry about that, son." He finished, giving the newly reassured Husky a loving nuzzle. As he pulled away, he looked deep into Kodi's eyes, trying to tell him everything was going to be okay, even if what Kodi had for a time feared became true. "Now, go get you girl, Kodi. Make me proud…"

Kodi returned Balto's nuzzle with one of his own, along with a quick lick. "I will Dad, you can count on it…" And he turned and started off towards Nome…and his future love, not bothering with the gangplank but simply leaping over the side of the Trawler to land in the powdery snow below before he sent it flying in all directions as he began to run with all speed towards Nome, following that heavenly scent of vanilla and wild Roses…

((()-()))

Dusty plodded ever onward, continuing despite the now steadily increasing blaze of pain in her leg. She didn't have much further to go, in any case. The home of her parents' Master loomed ahead, a large two story home composed of wood and brick, with a spacious front porch and large, inviting windows scattered throughout. As she began making her way to the backdoor, her leg gave a particularly nasty twinge that forced her to stop and lie in the snow, shivering in a mixture of both pleasure and discomfort as the snow cooled the white-hot appendage and began stealing much-needed heat from the rest of her. With an effort, she managed to gain her feet once more and began to trudge towards the backdoor again. She was unable to suppress a yelp of alarm as she nearly slipped and feel on a patch of ice that had collected adjacent to the welcome mat and was saved from a nasty tumble only by seizing the wooden doorframe with her teeth. When she was sure enough of her footing once more, she released her hold on the wood and half-stumbled through the doggie door and into the snug little room where her mother and father were kept.

She let out a sigh of relief as she allowed herself to sink to her belly before the woodstove, relishing the blaze of heat as it spread over her fur and into her body, warming her wonderfully. She had actually begun to doze – it really was that comfortable – and would've no doubt fallen asleep had not Tricksey come back from her little scavenger hunt in the adjoining kitchen to see her daughter lying in her midst.

Needless to say, Tricksey was – as can only be expected – extremely surprised. She'd been home for perhaps an hour or more and had seen her daughter's dreadful encounter with Kodi, having been spirited away by her master only minutes after the heartbroken youngsters had misled one another so badly. She gasped in shock, causing Dusty's head to jerk violently around, her own astonishment as great as her mother's. The two of them stood or lay in utter silence for perhaps ten seconds before Dusty gave a small smile and said, "Hi mom…"

"Dusty…" Tricksey breathed, coming forward to inspect her daughter, "You…what on earth are you doing here? Shouldn't you be back with the others or at home? You're not nearly well enough to go – " The silver female found herself suddenly cut off by her daughter's somewhat earnest voice.

"I know…but I just…really needed to talk to you, that's all." Dusty said, looking up at her mother, eyes seeming to plead. "Please…?"

Her mother gave her a warm smile and a comforting lick to the muzzle and lay down before her, her emerald eyes soft and full of love. "I'd listen to you anytime," she said, and Dusty blushed slightly. "Now, what exactly is it that you want to talk about, dear?"

Dusty opened her mouth…and found, for a wonder, that no words would come forth. All she could do was lie there, open-mouthed in front of her mother as images of Kodi, of her dreams of being with him, visions of their chaotic conversation flashed through her mind in a blur and suddenly her mouth snapped shut and her tears began to flow again. Frightened, Tricksey moved closer allowing her distraught daughter to burry her hot, wet face in the soft, comforting fur of her neck, murmuring gentle consolations in her ears and trying as best she could to help.

After a time, when she felt as if she could cry no more – though even now that was uncertain; she had felt the same way back at the house, and look what had happened here for crying out loud – she raised her head, her cheeks now beginning to burn high with embarrassment. This wasn't the way she'd wanted to start this conversation at all…but better to get all the 'boo-hooing' out of the way right up front she supposed now. "Sorry Mom, I…" she trailed off, not knowing how best to summarize her troubles.

"No need to apologize, Dusty," her mother replied, giving her another of her warm smiles that had so captured her father's heart back when she and Kaltag had first met all those years ago. "If you want me to leave – "

"No," Dusty interrupted quickly…a little too quickly in her opinion. But what was done was done and anyhow, it wasn't like it was a big deal or anything. "I've got to talk to you…but I just don't know…" she suddenly growled in frustration, shook her head, struggled internally with herself and then burst out; "I love Kodi."

She watched her mother's face closely for the amazement she knew would be there and saw it…though not nearly as much as she might've expected. Her mother's smile was still warm – warmer than ever it seemed to her – but now held a somewhat confused quality to it as well. "I see…I though that might be it…." And although she'd been aware of her mother's knowledge of her love for Balto and Jenna's son, Dusty was somewhat confused herself.

"You – oh, well, I…Mom, I…I just don't know what to do!" she suddenly burst out. Had she but known that Kodi was having just as bad a time of this as she herself was, she may've taken some amount of comfort from this. "I mean…I don't understand…Why doesn't he love me?"

"Who says he doesn't?" Her mother asked, looking down at her daughter, eyebrows raised slightly.

"He…" Dusty began and then stopped. Her mother had just brought to light a vital point that Dusty, in her agony of grief, had foolishly overlooked. Now that her mind was cleared…she realized that neither of them had actually come out and denounced the other! Kavik's words hit her like a blow to the head; '_I've seen the way he looks at you out of the corner of his eye when he thinks nobody's looking…. And he always gets a far-off sort of look in his eyes when he tells me about how much he admires your spirit…. He even let it slip once he thinks you're more beautiful than the sunrise on the first day of spring and that you smell like Wild Flowers mixed with milk and honey._'

And, hard on the heels of this, came Muk and Luk's carefully – or maybe not so carefully – confided and guarded message; '_He says you're strong…and that you have the most beautiful eyes he's ever seen…and you're more gorgeous than the Northern Lights…_' God, if THAT wasn't a dead giveaway then she didn't know what was! She looked towards her mother once more, saw that she was now grinning and knew in an instant that she had known just how to nudge her daughter just right so she would come to the conclusion that she herself had been aware of some time ago…

"Something wrong?" the crafty silver canine asked, eyes sparkling with the delight of seeing Dusty finally come to terms with what was broiling within her. She gave the gray husky another of her wonderfully bright smiles and was helpless not to let out a little giggle as Dusty licked her cheek in return, her own smile seeming to have finally found its way out to plaster itself to her face.

"No…not anymore…." Tears of gratitude first gathered and two or three spilled from her eyes as Dusty said. "Thanks Mom for…for everything…."

Tricksey just laughed and brushed her long bushy tail playfully over her face, doing away with Dusty's tears. "Hey, what else are mothers for if they can't be relied upon to console their romantically distraught daughters once in a while?" she asked. Dusty beamed up at her.

After a few seconds' awkward silence, Dusty – incredibly, almost miraculously – found the strength to force her battered body first into a sitting position and finally to all fours. She felt a little lightheaded at first, but her dizziness lasted only perhaps five seconds and then she was nuzzling her mother once more, wanting to say thank you over and over again but knowing that words weren't needed; her gesture alone conveyed her feelings far better than any mere phrase ever could have. She turned to leave…but found the way blocked by her quick-thinking mother, who had foreseen her plan of action and moved to prevent it, coming between her determined offspring and the doggie door leading outside.

"Mom…" she tried, but Tricksey interrupted.

"Dusty…you can't be serious. I can't just…" she trailed off, seemingly torn between the decision to allow her Dusty to follow her heart's desire and search out her lover and her concern for her still-healing body. If she were to push herself too hard in the state she was in… Tricksey's brow furrowed and she let out a low whine. Dusty came forward and nuzzled her once more.

Pulling back, she locked eyes with her. She had inherited their color from her father, and now they shone with a need so powerful and so pure that in them Tricksey saw expressed all the words Dusty would now never have to say; her face said it all. I have to go to him, it said, that look of utter exaltation that conveyed the message using not words, but the canvas of her offspring's already lovely face.

_I've got to go and find him…set this all to rights…. More, I need him…and he needs me, and no way in hell is a little thing like some sore muscles gonna keep us apart…Please, mom…let me go…Let me find my love and let him find me…. Give me my chance for true happiness._

Seeing and reading all this in the quality of her gaze, Tricksey sighed, and smiled once more. "Dusty," she said. "I can't just…let you go out looking for him with out saying goodbye." She watched as Dusty's face flooded with relief and the two exchanged one last nuzzle before Tricksey helped her out the door. Watching her go, the 1/8 wolf crossbreed thought, '_Kodi…you really don't know how lucky you are…. All your friends will eventually grow up a bit more and have mates or their own…but you'll be the only one among them who will be able to say you achieved far more than they did as far as mates go…_'

She smiled to herself. '_They'll all have beautiful, loving females at their sides…but you'll be the only one among them who can claim to have taken an Angel as your bride…_'

((()-()))

Author's Note

Hmm…Well, not too much to say for this chapter… Except that it seems to not be one of my best in my opinion. Well, that's just me, and your opinions are the ones that REALLY count, so…tell me what you think! We've not far to go people – only one or two more chapters left! Sad, I know, but as they say; '_All good things must (eventually and after more than a little regrettable procrastination) come to (an equally regrettable) end._' But not quite yet…

Oh, yeah. One more thing: I've noticed that a lot of people have been saying something about how odd it is that I made Tricksey Dusty's mom, seeing as Tricksey's part wolf and Dusty doesn't look much like a wolf at all. Trust me people, there's a good reason for this; with her genetic makeup as it is in the fic, she would only be 1/16 wolf, hardly enough to show many dominant physical lupine characteristics. Just wanted to clarrify all this! Thankies!

LoL

BaltoLuver63


	9. Chapter 9: The Enforcer

Okay. Here she is. Chapter 9 (There's a lot of swearing in it. Just a warning.) I know it's long overdue. My trip to DC was very cool...but also very tireing. I've never walked so much in my entire life. My feet still hurt! I had to drive 10 hours to get home yesterday. But...since I know I owed you guys something...I stayed up from 11PM to 2AM just to offer up something that I hope will tide you over for now. Please, don't hate me! (lol) Thanks for sticking with me! Hope you like the chapter!   
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_**Chapter 9  
The Enforcer**_

Kavik lay contentedly on the porch of the General's Store, smiling as he watched Kodi and the rest of the team being congratulated by almost every dog in Nome. They were all practically lining up to get a chance to talk to the young lead dog, every voice ceaselessly clamoring for his attention. The resulting din was overwhelming to say the very least. The hybrid closed his eyes, retreating into himself for the time being. He – like the rest of the town – had rushed off the second word of Kodi's arrival had reached his alert ears. A great many things had transpired as of late, and one particular matter that involved a certain gray Husky required his nephew's immediate attention…. But, it seemed God had plans to postpone their conversation for the time being. As it was, Kavik couldn't have muscled his way over to Kodi even if he'd wanted to; there were currently too many others crowded around the exhausted sled-dog. So, he settled his head onto his forepaws once more, deciding to wait till the opportunity eventually presented itself.

He had only just closed his eyes, having decided on attempting to catch a few Z's while he waited, when they flew open again; he looked around, slightly puzzled, but wary. His attentive blue eyes jumped from canine to canine, studying each intently. Initially, he could find nothing amiss…not with his eyes at any rate. His nose was another mater altogether and the air around him spoke volumes…something was not right…but what? He continued to search without success and was beginning to be tempted to believe that it had been a false alarm caused by the simple overabundance of conflicting scents when something finally caught his eye.

There…. Right there….

To be more accurate, what had caught his eye was not so much a something as a certain _someone_…it was the albino Malamute who had recently filled the position of wheel dog during Dusty's recovery absence, in fact. What was his name again…? Balto had told him just the other day…. Ah yes. Forest. What was this guy playing at, skulking away from the rest of the team like that? Kavik's eyes narrowed and he watched him suspiciously. He didn't like the way Dusty's replacement was making every attempt to be inconspicuous, and liked the dark, musty stench of malicious intent emanating from him even less so.

This dog, whoever or whatever had drawn him away from the team aside, was a bad egg. No, he was more than just bad; he was **_rancid_**. Kavik detected a stench like week-old meat left out to rot under a July sun and his gut twisted. There had only ever been one other creature that'd carried that particular odor…Juji. And, even though the scent now coming from Forest was of a much weaker variety, there could be no denying it. This dog was evil. Kavik felt it not just in his gut or even his brain, but in his very _bones_.

Whatever idea was on this repulsive canine's mind would come to bear only bitter fruit when all was said and done…this was not good.

But, then again…maybe he was jumping the gun? Suppose this Forest merely had an embarrassing errand to run? A pre-arranged tussle back in his shed with the town tramp, perhaps? Not that there were many to be had in Nome, but it was still a possibility…. Then, a new thought came to him; who was _he_ to stick his nose into Forest's private affairs? What gave him the right? Kavik mulled this over, never taking his eyes from the now slightly nervous looking Malamute. The more he thought about it, the more Kodi's uncle began to second-guess his first assumptions. Indeed, his doubts had nearly won out when both his eyes and his nose alerted him to more serious developments.

Forest, having successfully detached himself from the rest without much difficulty, had wandered over to the alley to Kavik's left, the one that ran between the General's store and the Hospital. Kavik, now realizing that discovery was not an option, remained motionless, feigning sleep. Being unable to move his head even a fraction of an inch, he was forced to content himself with the somewhat fuzzy view from the corner of one, half-closed eye. He could just make out the shapes of two dogs, one a white Samoyed and the other a burly Husky. He felt a strange shiver of unease race up and down his spine as his sharp ears detected what sounded like greetings exchanged between the three. He strained to hear them with all his might, but to no avail; the commotion going on not ten feet away made eavesdropping all but impossible. He could tell the three were talking about something and in what sounded like slightly hushed tones, but the topic remained a mystery so long as he was distanced from them, and the throng in the street continued.

He lay there, contemplating his options for at least five minutes. On one paw, there was the smell he was picking up, and not just from Forest now, but also from the other two as well. No doubt that the rest remained ignorant of this stink had to do with the fact that most of them were still fixated on Kodi and his team and had not yet noticed the unpleasant aroma. He could sneak over and listen in – he'd done it often enough to know how to make himself undetectable. What could it hurt? And it might be worth something…or nothing… On the other paw, however, there was the fact that Forest had seemed quite eager to get away from the rest so, maybe he was just tired of the company of Kodi and his team. Kavik knew without a doubt that the albino and his nephew were on decidedly less-than-friendly terms with one another; even an idiot would've been able to tell they were complete opposites with merely glance and a sniff.

Then, just as he was once again preparing to leave these three turds to their own devious agenda, he heard something that instantly snared his attention once more. One of them said something, only what sounded like a name and a few other words, most of which was engulfed by the noise of the ebullient crowd. The sound was fuzzy and indistinct in his ears and he couldn't be one hundred per cent sure of what he'd heard. Were it not for his gut that was, and it had never steered him wrong before. And, to the best of his knowledge, there was only one dog in Nome named Dusty…and those other few words sounded suspiciously like 'get her good' to him…though he couldn't be certain till he questioned them.

All thoughts of leaving them to their own devices left him and he got to his paws, being careful not to make a sound. He lifted his head, checking to make sure he was downwind of them. Armed with the knowledge that his approach would go undetected until it was too late to do anything about it, Kavik began to pad his way over towards the alley, closing the gap between himself and these fools, who had been stupid enough to talk of causing trouble for his precious niece within his earshot. He felt his temper begin to rise like an impending geyser eruption and had to pause for a moment or two to force back down the red mist that wanted to cloud his vision.

He padded forward on velvety paws, making not a sound as he slowly drew closer and closer. Now he caught snippets of conversation. He heard a voice, probably Forest's, say, "…Dusty or rather Little Miss Bitch…" and "…put a scare into that worthless slut…." He felt the red mist threaten to rise again…and banished it, but only with a monumental effort. These…these _bastards_ dared to talk of Dusty like _that_? The _nerve_…! Oh he'd make them pay, oh you bet, he'd fix them but **_good_**! '_Just you wait till I get my paws on you, you…_'

But here, reason managed to find a gap in his ever-broadening rage and squeeze through to make its tiny but insistent voice heard. These dogs were verbally disgracing her, (never in all his life had he ever heard anyone accuse Dusty of such a despicable act) true enough…but that, by no means meant that they were the ones responsible for the terrible deed that had befallen here only a few days before. His rage tried to take control again, saying that just because they hadn't come right out and confessed to doing the deed, that didn't make them innocent, that they'd soon confess if **_he_** had his way with them….

Reason found another hole and spoke again, in a louder tone this time. If he allowed his anger – oh excuse me all to hell, _rage_ – to win over common sense, and he did something he would live to regret, he would have no proof with which to defend himself. True, there _had_ been the briefly – make that **very** briefly – overheard conversation but he realized that meant nothing by itself.

A possible reason for their talk rose to the surface. Forest had hung around Kodi for the past few days; they obviously didn't like each other. Yes, he could buy that all too easily, especially if Forest always talked in such a manner as he was now. In fact, if such was the case, Kavik reflected darkly, then the Malamute had been lucky to return alive, as he knew Kodi and the rest wouldn't have allowed for such slanderous lies to go unchecked. Okay, so maybe Kodi had accidentally let something slip to the rest of the team about his feelings regarding Dusty, easy enough to envision. Mayhap these guys were just going to scare her a little to get back at Kodi. Not right, of course, but it was by no means an act that was punishable by death at his fangs….

Having managed to regain control over his emotions, he moved closer, still listening. Forest was talking now, obviously laying out some sort of plan for the other two. "…jump out and pin her down…" Kavik had heard enough. It was time to put a stop to this potentially dangerous piece of mischief….

((()-()))

"…and then Sabbath, you'll come out and drive the two of them towards the woods so Pride and I can jump out and pin her down – " Forest stopped, starring at his companion's suddenly darkening faces. What was the deal? He had just been explaining all this to the two of them when all of a sudden…. "What's up, guys?" he asked, scorn all too evident in his voice. "You getting second thoughts or –"

"I wouldn't be surprised if they were…." said a deep, imperious voice from directly behind him. Forest spun, heart leaping up into his throat. _Damn_! If they'd been _discovered_…! The rest of this thought petered off into nothingness as he turned and beheld what he first mistook to be a wolf at least a head taller than he was and who probably weighted in at around something close to 200 pounds. His body was covered in snow-white fur and his eyes…

Forest felt a shiver run down his back, despite his self-confident attitude. The eyes were an imperious cerulean blue and deep within them burned a rage so colossal, it made his heart fall dead in his chest and his bowels feel dangerously loose. That fury was just barely contained…if he decided to send them to the vet…then to the vet they would go, or maybe even to….

'…_Ah…ah, _damn_ it we're dead. If he heard…._' Forest had never been as scared of any dog as he was of this white demon that looked as though he wanted to rip them to pieces and then gobble them all up for good measure. Instinct told him that this was one dog he most certainly did not want to cross…

Yet…here was something. If the brute before them _HAD_ heard their plans of assassination, surely he would've commenced to administer punishment before now…? Suddenly, this new menace didn't seem quite so threatening as he had a moment before. Mayhap…mayhap the three of them were still safe. But even if he hadn't heard the whole thing, the beast surely must've heard _something_ that'd pissed him off because he looked…well, like he was about to commit murder…. And how the hell had he managed to get the drop on them anyway? This son of a bitch was good…_too_ good….

Praying to all the gods that would hear his blasphemous request – mainly Satan, Lord of Lies – he mustered up as much courage as he could…which wasn't very much at all to tell the truth. It was fair to say that, in light of this most recent development it was a wonder – no, a frigging _miracle_ – that he hadn't pissed himself. He swallowed, and met the stranger's cold, scrupulous gaze with his own level one. "And what," he asked, hoping his voice betrayed none of his fear, "would they be scared of exactly?" He offered the stranger a wintery smile accompanied by a small derisive chuckle. "_You_?" he added before he could stop himself, and hoped that the parting shot wouldn't just push this monster over the psychotic edge.

"I wouldn't be surprised if they _were_ scared of me…." And to Forest's horror, he moved closer, and the Malamute was forcibly aware of how much smaller he felt compared to him. The beast thrust his snout down at Forest, sniffed loudly, and drew away, a cold smirk gliding onto his smug face. "And…" he said taking a step forward, and Forest was helpless to note that each of his paws were about the size of a man's clenched fist. "I'd say all three of you have good reason to be scared…" he took another step forward, forcing them to back towards the alley's fenced-off end.

"Considering,"

Another two steps, "That the dog you happen to be talking about…"

Another foreboding step followed. "Is a good friend of mine…"

Another step and the three were nearly out of backing room. "My _niece_…as a matter of fact." He grinned, exposing wickedly long canines and gleaming incisors. It was a grin that made your blood run cold…. The grin of a killer born, one to who murder is an old hand.

Oh…shit.

Forest felt as though the bottom had dropped out of his stomach to lie, steaming in the cold snow beneath him. Their present situation was bleak to say the very least…yet, mayhap there was still hope; it all depended upon how much this –

Then, quite suddenly, things began to happen very fast.

Looking back on it later – not that there would be much time for reflection that was – Forest would be drawn again and again to how easily the hybrid had disabled them. So damn _fast_…and yet, he hadn't even been **_trying_**…. Moving faster than Forest would've ever thought physically possible for a creature of his size, this white monster moved in, lashing out at Pride with one of his fearsome paws. The blow to the muzzle caught the large Husky unawares and sent him flying into a pile of empty snow-covered crates with a sickening crunch of wood on bone.

Sabbath was quick to react. Even as his friend was being incapacitated, the creamy Samoyed leapt, jaws agape as he sprung for the interloper's momentarily unprotected throat. He too was a born killer and had honed his skills to a razor's edge over the years. Yet his target nullified the attack quite easily, having seen the smaller dog coming from the corner of one eye. Even as the other's needle-sharp teeth made to close over his windpipe, he rolled with his adversary, crushing him under his massive weight. Sabbath was unable to suppress a scream of pain and surprise as he felt Kavik's teeth close on the base of his neck before he was hurled bodily through the air to strike the wooden fence which barred Forest's only hope of retreat. He sank into the snow beside Forest in a senseless heap.

Forest, meanwhile, was in shock; the conflict had begun before he could utter even a sound and had come to a close just as quickly. The Malamute hastily considered his options and realized that running would be futile, as this behemoth would catch him all too easily. He was still trying to formulate a plan to weasel his way out of this mess when his 'executioner' closed in. Forest shrank back until his curly tail pressed into the wooden mass of the fence and he let out a whimper of placation, hating the sound but helpless to contain it. He glanced to his left, looking for support from Sabbath. No help there though, as the lady-killer was out cold with his eyes rolled up to show the whites. Pride seemed just as injured because he remained motionless beneath the pile of splintered wood.

What felt like a fist of iron smashing into his head brought his attention back to…what the hell was this devil's name anyway? Forest tried to get another good look at him from where he now lay on his back next to Sabbath, but his vision was still spotty and kaleidoscopic from the bastard's blow. Damn, did he hit hard…. The face looked somewhat familiar…but where had he seen it before?

"B…Balto?" he asked, momentarily stupefied. He'd never once seen the Hero of Nome up close, but he'd heard his fair share of tales of course (every dog anywhere close to Nome had heard of the hybrid's great deeds). The legendary mutt was supposed to have a brown, somewhat matted-looking coat, with abnormally large paws and yellow-brown eyes. The dog before him didn't look anything like that; his fur was alabaster white, not brown and he was a good deal larger than the famous wolf/dog was rumored to be, not to mention those hellish eyes. But…it wouldn't be the first time the stories had led him astray….

For a wonder, the angelic avenger smiled the tiniest bit. "That's my brother's name," he said, placing one of his massive paws on the other's chest and none-too-gently either, "but close enough. If you must know, you lowly coward, the name is Kavik." The smile vanished to be replaced with a look of unbridled rage that made Forest yearn for his mother's protective warmth for the first time in god-knew how long. "And, if you or any of your '**_friends_**' ever dare to talk about my niece in such a _disgusting_ way again…I _will_ find out…. And I _will_ kill you…" he leaned even closer as he ground out, "**_All_** of you…. Do you believe me, Forest?"

How in the devil did Kavik know his name? Forest blinked. There would be time for inquiries later. At present, there were other more pressing matters to attend to. "I…I hear you…" he spat. "Hear you loud and clear…you freakin' sneak." Again, his tongue had betrayed him. He could now only pray it wouldn't cost him his life.

Kavik's eyes narrowed dangerously and the pressure on Forest's chest increased two-fold. "What was that? Did I just hear you right?" A grim smile spread across his features. The look alone was enough to deplete whatever marginal degree of courage the Malamute had left intact. "Were I you, I wouldn't be running my mouth right now, my little albino friend…" the pressure mounted to an almost unbearable level. "You and yours were the ones planning to cause trouble for someone I love who, by the way, has had more than her share of undeserved abuse as of late…so, I'd shut up if I were you."

Kavik's face lowered until his nose was nearly in contact with Forest's own. The pinned albino could smell the stink of grief and wrath and, very faintly, a secret desire for the taste of blood…_his_ blood. He swallowed, the movement made painful by the constrictions to his chest and windpipe. If this dog intended to kill him, Forest knew the process would be painful beyond his ability to comprehend. Kavik's eyes were flinty and it didn't surprise the other in the least to see there were sparks pin-wheeling deep within the pupils.

"Don't fuck with me Forest, I am **_not_** someone you want to _fuck_ with…" Kavik breathed, and his decepitvly low growl was somehow more terrifying than any raw snarl ever could have been. Now, I'll ask just once more…"

He broke off as he sensed Sabbath and Pride beginning to move to try and flank him, though they were making far too much noise to be anywhere close to getting the jump on him as even Forest himself could see. "Don't be foolish, you idiotic mutts…or I'm liable to give you something more permanent than a concussion to remember me by." Kavik snarled, and his voice held such malice that both stopped in their tracks immediately, though their eyes burned with anger and hate. "I'm glad you're awake though…because I want the two of you conscious enough to hear this as well…" he turned his attention back to Forest again. "You touch me niece, go anywhere close to her, even think her _name_…and I'll be all over any one or all three of you before you can even draw breath…" his voice dropped to a level that was almost a whisper. "And when I do…I'll rip you in ways that'll make you _useless_ to _any_ woman…do you **_get_** me?"

Dumbly, knowing there was no other choice, all three nodded, staring at Kavik with flat murder in their dark eyes. Whether or not Kavik noticed – not that it would've affected him if he had in any case – he stepped off Forest who began coughing convulsively, his cheeks flooding with color as he was once more able to breath without restriction.

"Good," the brute said coldly, his stony eyes burning holes into the winded Malamute. "Now…do yourselves a favor…and get out of Nome before the sun sets…." He turned to leave. "I don't know what you were planning, and frankly I don't give a damn; all I know is that you were going to mess with someone I care about…and I don't put up with that crap. We don't need your kind of filth out here…. My niece has suffered more than enough without _your_ added torment, thank you very much, and doesn't deserve whatever you mongrels were planning for her…Be grateful I spared you a more thorough ass-whooping."

Forest listened with only half an ear. Never had he felt so grateful to be able to breathe of the frosty air…. When he once more had the strength to, the Malamute lifted his head, looking for the hateful wolf/dog…and saw him striding confidently out of the alley and onto the street, his nostrils flaring as he tried to calm his still racing heart and rid himself of his inbred bloodlust. At the mouth of the alley, he turned, his face still contorted with barely contained fury, eyes ablaze. "Remember Forest…Do anything to hurt her, anything at all…and I'll know…I'll smell it on you and your mates like bad meat…." His eyes narrowed dangerously once more. "…And I always make good on a threat to your kind…keep that in mind…." And with that, Kavik was gone leaving nothing to attest for his presence among them save for the injuries they all now bore.

Forest struggled and, after a few failed attempts, managed to gain his paws, though his stride was still ungainly and his chest still ached. He was lucky his ribs hadn't cracked under the strain. He hobbled over to where Pride and Sabbath sat, each still trying to recover from the shock of having their tails handed to them with such…such ridiculous ease! But…what was done was done.

And it hadn't been all bad after all…they were still alive. Which meant that 'the Wolf' hadn't heard the most intricate part of their plans, so there was that to be thankful for…he had thought they had spoken of some sort of idle prank when in reality, they had been planning a double homicide. They could still pull it off, only now they would have to exercise the utmost caution, for if 'Uncle Kavik' told anyone about what he'd overheard, that someone might find it advantageous to run the three of them out of town, to be sure that they took his advice…. Or, oh, and here was a LOVELY possibility, Kavik might just be smart enough to put two and two together and figure out who had really almost gotten Little Miss Bitch the first time around…. And that would be even worse….

That was a possibility they could not afford. Forest winced, massaging his chest with one paw. Their plan mightn't be so easy to pull off as he first thought…. Now they had this damnable brute to contend with…not to mention his brother, that cursed mutt Balto. And…there was the possibility Dusty remembering her attackers' identities. But, these recent developments would by no means thwart their chances for a successful killing…quite the contrary, in fact. If they played their cards right, all this might actually work to their advantage…. He turned to Pride and Sabbath who regarded him stoically; they didn't even have to voice their joint question aloud. He could read it on their faces

_What do we do now?_

"Let's move…" Forest commanded, jerking his head in the general direction of their cozy little shed. "We might have to put off bagging Lover-Boy and Little Miss Bitch for a few hours…but it'll be easier after dark…."

"Are you kidding?" Pride asked, staring at him in disbelief. "You've got to be crazy! Did you see that – "

"I _don't_ **_care_**." Forest snapped, and his growl shut the troublesome Husky up in a hurry. "We're blowing this town in a few days as it is, and I'll gladly leave it to rot out here in the middle of nowhere…but not before I have Lover Boy's throat in my jaws…him and his little bitch as well…."

Knowing reason would do nothing but further anger the seething Malamute, the two stood and followed their leader. After making sure their 'retreat' would not be noted, they limped off to their shed to further their plans for the evening's events….

If 'Uncle Kavik' thought they would be so easily intimidated…then he had vastly underestimated the devious trio….

((()-()))

**Author's Note**

Err…well, hope you all liked this chapter. Yes, yes, I know I'm probably going to catch hell from all of you for not imparting all the fluffy KodiXDusty goodness yet (which I know many, MANY of you are practically chomping at the bit for)…but the fact is, I was having some trouble with that – and this chapter was already long enough as it was. In short, I really made this chapter up to sort of…well…foreshadow upcoming events, in a way.

No, wait…that's bull.

Okay, to come clean with you guys; it was an excuse on my part to show off a more…uh, how shall I say 'homicidal' aspect of Kavik's nature (once again). Not to worry, all the KodiXDusty fluff will be in abundance in the next one, chapter 10: The Lovers (as you should probably all be able to tell just from the flippin' title!).

Hoping you're all still sane and able to restrain the perfectly understandable urge to flay me alive and then feed my carcass to a pack of rabid pygmy sea monkeys,

**BaltoLuver63**


	10. Chapter 10: The Lovers

Hello, Constant Readers. Yes, your eyes do not deceive you; below is the beginning of the chapter you've all waited so patiently for…I just hope I live up to all of your expectations! Read and enjoy! I command it! (LoL)

_**Chapter 10  
The Lovers**_

After thanking her mother once more for all her guidance, Dusty gingerly slipped out the way she had come, treading lightly on sturdy paws made tender by all this unaccustomed movement she was subjecting her injured body to. After successfully skirting that treacherous ice patch again, she began to move as fast as her leg would allow, following her nose as best she could in the numbing cold, searching for any indication that her Love was nearby. Needless to say, in her present state, she was unable to go anywhere near the break-neck speed she would've preferred and had to be content with traveling at a brisk trot. Though she was going at a pretty decent pace considering the state of her exhausted body, she had to restrain herself from trying to execute a little jig of frustration as she passed the General's Store almost ten minutes later.

'_At the rate I'm going, I'll be lucky if I can get to him before the Spring Thaw…._' She thought moodily. Being unable to vent her irritation upon her own body, she contented herself with a few choice curses directed towards the despicable mongrels who were now responsible for keeping her from finding her one chance at true happiness. A low whine escaped her and she felt her lower lip begin to tremble as the pain in her hind leg decided to make its voice heard once more. She grimaced with every step and was soon limping quite badly, and only just managed to keep her paws moving; lying by the warm fire next to her mother had done wonders for the afflicted limb, drowning the pain in its soothing heat. Now, however, with only the cold to keep her company and no real idea of how much headway she was making in her quest to find Kodi, the pain was back to trouble her once more…only this time it seemed, it had decided to extend its stay.

Fifteen minutes later, despite how much she wanted to keep going, her screaming leg finally won out. The limb abruptly gave out and she had no choice but to fall forward into the powdery fluff, yelping in pain and surprise. Behind her, the leg burned and ached, sending bolts of pain blasting into her head, seeming to scramble her brains. She screwed her eyes shut against its steady onslaught, willing herself to retain consciousness. She would not pass out again, be _damned_ if she would!

Brow contracting in a mixture of pain and ironclad determination, she forced her tired, burning body to move. Her need to find Kodi blotted out her agonized limb and, with a titanic heave, she was able to lift herself up once again. Panting with effort, she managed to cajole her trembling paws to propel her forward, though she was now all but staggering. Her breath came in ragged gasps as she trudged wearily through the snow with her nose low to the ground as she went in search of her lover….

'_Kodi…I'm coming to you…_'. She thought and managed a smile, even through her pain.

If finding Kodi meant she had to break herself in the process…well, that was just how the cookie crumbled….

((()-()))

Unlike his dearly beloved, our canine friend Kodi was most certainly not waylaid by the slowly diminishing wounds suffered in a back alley beating. No, his were of a different sort altogether, if you can dig it. When he had started out from the Old Trawler not five minutes ago, Kodi had been totally focused, sprinting as though the devil himself were nipping at his furry heels, hurtling snow drifts in a single bound. Though his spirit was strong and his love and desire to see Dusty, to feel her, to taste of her was an inferno blazing within his chest, his body was another matter entirely.

Unfortunately, though he wished to run with all the god-given speed and talent at his disposal, he was only just now discovering the toll his latest mail run had taken on his young body; when you completed a run that was supposed to take a full seven days in only three, your muscles tended to get a little sore. And, as Kodi himself was now coming to realize firsthand, a '_little sore_' in this case meant that it felt as though your legs were broken in a dozen different places and it hurt to move with any degree of quickness.

Still it would take much more than physical pain to call a halt to his mission of love and so he plodded on and on, panting and gasping all the way. His brow contracted and his breath whistled through clenched teeth as the assault on his agonized limbs continued, its ferocity seeming to increase rather than lessen, not matter how many rest stops he was forced to make…and he was forced to make more than a few, much to his displeasure.

Finally, though he yearned to simply ignore his aching muscles and continue his search, the fire in his legs demanded to be doused in the cooling snow and so, he regrettably came to a halt and collapsed in the fluffy powder. Tremors of pleasure rippled across his furry body as the blessedly cold snow temporarily soothed his exhausted body. '_If this keeps up, I won't even be able to move by the time I find her…_' he though dismally. Come to think of it…how long had he been at this anyway? Good question. He turned his brown eyes skyward, trying to read the shadows and slow his racing heart. At first, he simply couldn't believe what his eyes were telling him…

'_That's…that's impossible!_' Four o'clock? Already?

He stared fixedly at the slowly lengthening shadows, struggling to find any fault or trick in the light that had caused this miscalculation. It just couldn't be, just couldn't! Surely…_surely_ he hadn't been at this for the last _three hours_? He would've found her by now, he was sure of it! Yet his biological clock told him that his reading was indeed correct…. There could be no denying it…. He just wasn't moving fast enough, that was all. Yes, that was it, all he had to do was…pick up the pace.

Kodi was helpless to suppress a dry snort; easier said than done…and at the rate his body was wearing down, he didn't even know if he'd be able to make it off the ground when he decided to continue. And, he realized, here was something more; even assuming he _could_ somehow force his worn-out legs to support him again, he still had a ways to go. If it had taken him this long to reach the alley running behind the hospital…then he would be lucky to reach his Master's home by late afternoon, if he could even keep up this pace that was. He had hours of pain ahead of him, two at the very least.

"Ah…_shit_…." He growled, despair beginning to creep into his heart, darkening the usually bright light of his steadfast spirit. He almost never cursed as a rule – he believed vulgarity to be the language of ignorant mutts – but he just couldn't help it this time! He'd been through so much already and now…now he didn't even know if he _walk_, let alone make it all the way back home to Dusty!

Frustration and loneliness boiled up within him and he cursed again, hating to do it but unable to find any other available means through which to relieve himself. Desperate, needing someone, _something_, **_anything_** to place the blame on, his fevered mind settled on Forest. He felt a growl rise to his throat at the very thought of the bad-tempered brute. If only Dusty hadn't gotten beaten up then he wouldn't have…

He cut the thought off sharply, refusing to go any further. It was not the fault of no one that she had been beaten the way she had, least of all her own. He wouldn't allow himself to become so disillusioned…. He sighed heavily as he took stock of his weary muscles and tried to judge whether or not to push on…. He moved his hind leg experimentally, testing its strength. It felt a little better…but was it good enough? Could he trust it to bear his weight again? Maybe he should lie here for a little while longer, just to wait and see. It never hurt to be _too_ careful after all….

He mulled this over and then shook his head, deciding the time had come. '_Oh, the hell with it! If I don't get going now, I never will,_' he mentally snarled and, growling with the effort, he managed to cajoled his body to stand and begin to move once more…though, in truth, he honestly didn't know how much longer he would be able to go on in his state; he was not stupid. He knew that his body had its limits and, if pushed to hard or too far past those limits, he risked the possibility of a serious injury….

He gave his head another brisk shake. _Damn_ the consequences! All that mattered now was getting to Dusty, to his one true love! If he could do that, if he could tell her how he felt, he would gladly bear any injury sustained in the journey! It would be well worth it! It…

This mental spiel trailed off as he caught a scent…a very familiar scent. His heart seemed almost to implode upon itself as he recognized the aroma of Wild Roses and sweet Vanilla that was moving somewhere up ahead. It was an undeniably slow gait but nonetheless it was moving…and towards him! He yipped in joy executed a little hopping dance of happiness, his pain overshadowed by his jubilation, tail wagging madly back and forth.

Dusty, _his_ Dusty, out and about and…and looking for _him_, no less! He paused. But…was she? For a terrible instant, an all-too-familiar doubt tried to assert itself once more within his heart and he briefly considered turning and heading in the opposite direction. Who was to say the feeling he now felt fluttering through his chest was mutual? Was it really worth it to risk their friendship on only guesswork? Immediately, the recollection of the fateful palaver he'd held with his father on the derelict boat earlier that day rose to the surface, kicking his doubt out on its treacherous ass. Who was he kidding? Why else would she risk further injuring herself unless she wished to see him?

The strength embedded in this thought seemed to stem and flow throughout his whole body, driving out his pain like it was nothing and once more replenishing his reservoirs of stamina. He let loose another elated yip of excitement as he began to move toward that heavenly aroma as though his life depended on it….

'_I'm coming Dusty,_' he though, eyes bright with anticipation. _'We'll be together soon…my love._'

((()-()))

Kavik stalked down Nome's Main Street, the battle-rage finally beginning to depart. It was a good thing that he'd gotten out of there when he had, for if the furious lupine had allowed himself to stay in the company of Forest and his band for much longer…well, there was no telling how bloody it might've gotten. His upper lip curled in disgust at the mere though of those disgusting idiots. Frighten **_his_** niece would they? Well, let them _try_ it; he would be the first to know…and then, the three of them had better just pray to all the Gods that he didn't find them before Balto or any of the others did, for if he did, they would have no trial to speak of; he alone would act as judge, jury and most importantly…_executioner_.

'_Now, now, don't think like that!_' he scolded himself, '_that way lays madness…not to mention damnation._' All right, okay. True, they were punks, there was no denying that, but they had been interested only in pulling a prank on Dusty. It would've been an unnecessarily cruel prank, of that he had no doubt, but tomfoolery was no excuse to commit murder and neither was stupidity…no matter how longingly a secret part of him pined for their blood.

He shook his head once more, dispelling these dark contemplations of murder. That was not his way…that was something he would've expected from the likes of _Juji_…and he most certainly was _not_ going to sink to _his_ level, no **_sir_**! He paused on the outskirts of Nome, trying to think of something to take his mind off what he'd overheard. He considered; he couldn't talk to either Dusty or Kodi at the moment for the two of them no doubt had enough on their paws as it was. Kaltag or his mate might make good conversationalists, but something told him that Kaltag was one of those tough-as-nails, gonna-kick-some-ass fathers who'd most likely go out and beat the living snot out of someone like Forest if he found out what he'd planning….

Then, it came to him. Balto. Who better to lay all this on than his own flesh and blood? Besides, they hadn't had a real talk in ages, what with Balto having to advise Kodi all the time on how to improve the team and his being busy with Kemo and this new wolf pack in the forest outside Nome…so this would be the perfect time. If Jenna was with him, so much the better; he'd long marveled (and sometimes teased) his brother about landing such an incredible…ah…'_piece_' shall we say.

Chuckling softly, spirit considerably lifted by the prospect of having a real heart-to-heart talk with his brother for the first time in maybe a month, Kavik raised his white head, sniffed and began to trot off in the direction of the Old Trawler…

'_If there's anyone who'll understand where I'm coming from, it'll be that big galoot…_' he thought and chuckled once again. '_Besides,_' he realized with a grin, '_we might need to talk about the possibility of him becoming a grandfather in the not-too-distant future…._'

((()-()))

She had to stop. There was no help for it. If she didn't she was going to pass out, and that would only complicate matters. '_And things are already complicated enough as it is…._' She thought ruefully as she plopped down into the snow, panting heavily and sucking in life-giving air. Her tongue hung limply from the side of her mouth and when she tried to lick her chops, she nearly gagged; her tongue tasted like a dried-out hunk of tree bark and her mouth and throat were as dry as a desert. She gratefully chomped on some snow, and then simply lay there, still breathing heavily.

"I don't know…how much longer…I can keep this up…." She gasped between labored respirations, the breath coming out in huge gusts of steamy vapor. She tried to take stock of how much strength she had left in her and gave up almost at once; what was the point? She felt exhausted. Hell, let's be honest here girlfriend, she _was_ exhausted, all but ready to black out. Earlier, she'd have told you that nothing would stop her, least of all a trivial thing like her worn out body…but now, she was not so sure….

'_Maybe I'll just lie here for a bit…_' she thought dazedly, blue eyes already half-closed, her gaze clouded and unfocused. '_After all…what can it hurt? And I'm just so tired…._' Her eyes slipped all the way closed and she had actually begun to slip off to the world of dreamland when a sudden noise roused her, jerking her out of her daze by the ears and thrusting her roughly into the real world as she heard….

"No…can't be…" But it was, and she knew it not only because her ears had never before led her astray but also because there was only one person she knew of who smelled a bit like cinnamon and brown sugar….

"Kodi…" she tried to cry out…only to discover, to her dismay that what came out was nothing more than a chocked rasp. She hastily gobbled some snow, licked her lips and tired again. "…Kodi!" Her voice was loud and clear this time and she waited eagerly for a reply of any kind.

For a terrible instant that seemed to go on for what seemed like centuries, she heard nothing and her heart began to sink. Then, incredibly, she heard him cry out her name with what sounded like unbridled joy. She could relate; she herself felt giddy with excitement, her whole body trembled not form pain now but from the knowledge that she would soon be reunited with him! She wasn't exactly sure what would follow their reunion, but something told her that she didn't have much to worry about….

Unable to contain herself any longer, she struggled briefly to gain her paws again and moved as fast as she could towards his voice, tears of happiness blurring the edges of her vision. She trotted down an alley and was briefly thwarted by a rickety fence before finding a hole big enough to squeeze through. This latest obstacle conquered, she straightened and was off, all but running now.

He was so close…maybe just around the next corner! She put on an amazing burst of speed, sending snow flying out behind her, her heart racing. She reached the mouth of the alley…and hit a patch of ice that swiftly swept her feet out from under her, laying her flat out on the snowy ground. She had just enough time to look to her left and catch a glimpse of Kodi – who, upon seeing her go down – tried to slow down…but he was going to fast. The fur along her back ruffled as he hurtled over her prone form in a desperate attempt to avoid what would've been a very dangerous collision for both of them under the circumstances. Her head whipped to the right just in time to see him make an awkward sort of sideways landing and then go tumbling to the ground, where he lay panting like a steam engine.

((()-()))

Kodi lay in the snow, not moving. _Everything_ was on _fire_. His lungs were burning and his heart was hammering so hard that he was certain the muscle would explode within the depths of his chest at any moment. His normally alert brown eyes were rolling like billiard balls, his vision hazy. All he knew for sure was that the large lump of gasping gray fur in front of him was probably Dusty, but for the moment, despite how much he'd had on his mind just seconds ago, all he was concerned about was not dying – which felt exactly like what he was doing at the moment; dying.

He turned his head – it hurt like the dickens, but he did in anyway – needing to verify that all this was really happening, that the beautiful (albeit worn out) looking gray husky before him was actually here and not all part of some absurdly realistic dream. A single glance was all it took to allay his fears; she looked just as tired as he felt, more so even. She coughed violently and, alarmed, he managed to pull himself into a sitting position and make his way towards her.

Fatigued though he was, the young love-struck dog did not fail to take in the vision of his beloved; his eyes roamed over her, marveling at her exquisite beauty. All he could bring himself to think was; '_Holy **crispy crap**…If she looks _**this**_ beautiful when we're both ready to pass out I wonder how she'll look when she's completely healed…._' Her slender body was perfectly proportioned; slim yet full in all the right areas. Her legs were long and strong, though not as thickly muscled as his, giving her a far more feminine physique. Her eyes…

Her eyes…

Kodi suddenly became aware that at some point while he was ogling her (helpless though he had been to resist), Dusty must've gained enough of her second wind to attain a sitting position herself, for her head was now on a level with his own…and their eyes were locked. Insecurity unexpectedly swooped in and gripped his heart like a vice, turning his brains to mush. He felt the color in his face begin to climb once more but he was unable to look away; her eyes, so blue, so clear and so beautiful, held him captive and, though he'd had a general idea of how he was going to go about what he wanted to tell her…he now found himself at an utter loss for words, and he could only sit there and take her in, his mouth hanging open stupidly.

'_Oh…God…help me._' He though, the voice he heard was high with terror, and he felt his heart begin to race once more as panic began to worm its long cold fingers through the hollow of his chest. '_I…I don't know what to say…_.' This had been a mistake. There was no way he could possibly go through with this! It had been crazy to even _think_ of doing this! He'd rather go up against a grizzly on his own than –

'**_Enough of that!_**' A new voice commanded and Kodi's mental dressing down instantly stopped as he realized that he was hearing his own voice…only now it was bolder than he had ever felt in his life and held a note of authority. '**_Are you going to just shy away from her the rest of your life? Because that's what you'll have to do if you can't pull enough of yourself together to tell her how you feel…._**'

Kodi swallowed, feeling a lump the size of a walnut at the back of his throat. The time had come to put fears of rejection and all else aside; the time for indecision had passed. Now was the time to be strong…to stand true…to pray to God with all his might that he didn't screw this up! He licked his lips nervously and said, in a low, embarrassed voice, "Hi…Dusty…" By no means a great starter, but better than nothing….

He watched as the color rose in her own cheeks and she glanced away distractedly. He didn't know exactly why it should be, but seeing her so seemed to erase some of his panic. He felt a little calmer anyway. Not much, but better than before. "Hi, Kodi…" she replied, sounding just as embarrassed as he felt. He let loose an inward sigh of relief. Well, this was going better than could be expected…so far that was.

He swallowed once more. Now came the **_hard_** part….

He took a deep breath and let it out speaking, sounding a little surer of himself, but not by much. He was more scared than he could ever remember being in all his life. "Listen Dusty, I…uh…"

'_**Damn**, but this is **hard**!_'

"I…Can we talk?"

She gave him a nod, meeting his eyes hesitantly. Neither was willing to risk looking at the other for more than a few seconds; it was just too awkward. "S-sure Kodi…uh…wh…what do you want to talk about…?" She seemed like she wanted to say more, but either couldn't bring herself to utter the words or (more likely) Kodi was hallucinating.

God, could **_THAT_** question be any harder to answer?

He glanced to his left once more, and then forced himself to look full in her lovely face. It made his knees feel like jelly and it felt as though his heart was doing double-time, but he did not look away. "Well, it's…it's about you, Dusty…. Ever since I've become a Mail Dog…we've all become really good friends…I mean, there's no other Team I'd rather be leading; you're all so kind, always listening to what I have to say and we never get into fights like some of the others do…No matter what, you're all there for me…but you were different from the rest…."

He trailed off, felt himself beginning to falter, and pushed on recklessly before his train of thought could elude him. He finally had it in his trembling paws and he would rather die than lose it now! "We've been through so much together this last year…and I feel like I, I mean, I feel like the two of us really know each other…and now…I've got to get something off my chest…" he gulped; his mouth and throat felt as though they had been coated in sandpaper.

"I'm…I'm just scared…I don't want this to mess up our friendship…but I have to say this…."

Dusty herself looked just as uncomfortably exposed and vulnerable as he felt; she kept licking her lips and he could swear she was shaking slightly…but maybe that was just from the strain of keeping in an upright position with a body that was as banged up as hers was. "G…Go ahead," she said, and amazingly, she smiled. "I'd…I'll always listen to what you have to say…you can trust me…and…and before you say anything just know…no matter what…we'll always be friends…."

Kodi felt a smile rise to his lips, and felt a wave of heat envelope him; he would've been drowning in sweat (if dogs could sweat that was) and this…this was the hardest part yet. He cleared his throat, searched his heart for the words…and found they came with surprising ease.

"Dusty…I…I don't want you to freak out or anything…but I have to tell you that…." He trailed off, cursing himself. '_A fine time to get tongue-tied, dunderhead!_' He mentally snarled. He opened his mouth…and found to his utmost horror, that he'd lost his thread of thought. He pursed his lips, his knees quaking; his fur felt like it was on fire.

"Kodi…?" She sounded a bit unsure. "Are you…?"

To hell with this subtly _bullcrap_! He had to tell her now or it was going to drive him nuts. He just couldn't handle it anymore. He'd reached the end of his rope. Throwing caution to the winds, he swallowed and suddenly burst out: "Dusty…I love you." He paused, wondering if and how he should proceed and plunged onward, figuring that if he'd already started something he might later regret, he might as well have his say right on to the end now while he had the chance.

He moved closer to her, hardly aware of his actions; all his attention was focused in on her wide, startlingly blue eyes. His heart was going what felt like a thousand beats a minute. "I love you Dusty. We've been friends for so long and…I don't know when or how or even why it first happened…all I know is that at some point, I fell in love you. You're so caring, so gentle…and, well sorry, but you're the _sexiest_ husky I've ever met." And then, afraid how that might sound, he went on. He knew he was babbling and badly too, but if he didn't get all of this out at once, then he would simply die. "When I look at you, it's like…I don't know, it's like I'm drowning, but it's a good drowning. You're so incredibly beautiful, you smell like no other woman I've ever met and, to top it all off…you're the best friend I've ever had." Amazingly, he felt a big, soft smile spread across his tired, worn out face. "…When I'm with you, I feel like I'm finally completely whole…I love you Dusty."

And then, to his own amazement – not to mention probably Dusty's as well – he leaned in and licked her face, nuzzling the top of her head with his own. He didn't know what to expect – not even in light of what everyone else around him had clued him in on. But the truth was that he really didn't give a rut's furry butt. In that moment, nothing mattered except the feeling of his fur against hers, the taste of her, the intoxicating reek of her scent….

Maybe he did expect what came next and maybe he didn't, he could never really say for sure when he tried to recall it later. Either way, whether he had been expecting it or not, the feeling of Dusty's tongue on his own neck and her smaller warm body against his still sent a tidal wave of emotion rushing through him and he experienced a thousand feelings at once; joy, relief, exhaustion, gratification…and, mayhap greatest of all, Love.

He looked down as he felt her weight shift out from under him. He stared into her eyes…and saw that there were tears streaming down her rosy cheeks. "Dusty…what is it?" he asked, feeling panic flutter in his chest. He hoped she didn't hate him; that was the last thing he wanted. "Did I do something wrong? Or…"

"No, no, no!" she hastened to reassure him, shaking her head violently too and fro, a smile spreading across her tear-streaked face. "I…I'm just…just so **_happy_**…." She apparently couldn't go on but then, she didn't really need to; she buried her hot, wet face against his broad chest and furiously licked his face, pressing herself against him. "I…I love you too, Kodiak…" she breathed and for a long time, that was the last word either of them spoke. They simply sat in the middle of that deserted alley amid the snow-covered crates with in a shaft of sunlight and felt the shared warmth of their bodies, Dusty with her head against his chest listening to the steady beat of his heart.

For the first time in either or their lives…both felt completely content with the way things had turned out for them…. It was a nice start.

((()-())

_**Author's Note**_

Well…there you have it folks; the chapter you've all been waiting for. I really hope it lived up to all your expectations…because I personally feel it could've been better, but like I've said so many times before; your opinions are the only ones that matter! Sorry to all you Dusty fans for focusing mainly on Kodi's P.O.V for the whole confession sequence, but I'm already planning a much longer one for both of them in the next one! Hope you all liked this chapter! We've only got one (or maybe even two, you never know with me) more to go! Please review!

**BaltoLuver63**


	11. Chapter 11: The Memories

Hello guys. Sorry I took so long (AGAIN, ugh,) but I've been very, VERY busy as of late with Cross Country and school and all that jazz. I'm having my first meet this Wednesday and my legs feel like crap, but I'm hoping to do good so wish me luck! Ahem, now that the propaganda is out of the way, some of you have been asking for KodiXDustyness…well, here it is…later in the chapter. One thing I want to impress upon you; I tried really hard on the dialogue in this one, as it seems to be the mainstay of the chapter (which is unusual for me, as my dialogue usually sucks). Please, tell me how I did, I don't care if you rip me a new one so long as you give me your honest opinion. I tried to make the conversations as flowing and natural-sounding as possible, but I still have my doubts. Thanks, now, on with the chapter!

**_Chapter 11_**  
_**The Memories**_

Balto lay on the deck of the Trawler, chin propped up on crossed forepaws, watching through half-lidded eyes as the sun began its slow westward descent into the horizon, bathing everything in a soothing amber light. He smiled to himself. The wind had picked up not five minutes before, and was now busying itself with the task of tousling his already matted-looking coat. Still, the evening was pleasant enough to enjoy a serene sunset, for the breeze brought with it the promise of the rapidly approaching spring season…along with the latest news of his son's romantic escapades….

"Kodi…you lucky dog, you…." The aging hero sighed contentedly as his smile broadened as he discovered his son's scent was intertwined with that of a certain attractive female Husky as they made their way back to the Mail Team's shed. "Love her like no other, son…." He intoned to the empty air. "After all…no one deserves her more than you do…." His ears suddenly perked up, picking up the sound of approaching paws off to his left.

"How very true," remarked an all-too familiar voice from where the crunch of compacting snow was coming, "and after all the crap the two of them have gone through, I'd say it's high time the odds turned in their favor…."

His smile replaced with a sizable grin, Balto lifted his head and turned to regard his alabaster brother Kavik who, of course, was taking his sweet old time ascending the gangplank. "I had a feeling you were going to show up…unannounced as always." He added with a chuckle.

"I gave you fair warning though, didn't I?" His brother asked, as he too dropped onto his stomach beside the still grinning Balto.

"I suppose so," the other allowed, returning his gaze to the sinking ball of amber light, "but it's not like you to be so noisy…. What gives?"

The white hybrid loosed a chuckle of his own; "I'm surprised all the racket I was making actually got through to you, what with that contemplative look on your furry, yet lovable mug. Doing some deep thinking, are we?"

Balto shrugged lazily. "Well, considering all that's happened within…oh…the last seven or eight hours, I'd say I've got quite a lot to think about, Kodi and Dusty for one, the approaching spring for another – "

"And let's not forget the possibility of your becoming a grandfather in the not-so-distant future as well." Kavik cut in.

Balto turned to look at him, curiosity shining in his yellow/brown eyes. "Don't you think they'd be going a little fast for that to happen so soon? They've only just confessed their love for each other after all…."

Kavik favored him with an incredulous look. One that seemed to ask '_what are you, stupid or just slow?_' "Tell me you're not **_that_** stupid. You're not, are you? Because if that's the case, I'm afraid I'll have to disown you to retain my dignity."

"What're you talking about?"

"Come on, Balto. Think about it. Use what small brains God saw fit to grace you with. How long did it take you and Jenna to pop out **_your_** six little bundles of joy after the two of you got hitched?"

Balto favored him with a sly little smirk. "_That's_ private business, thank you very much," he replied, his tone dripping with false indignation, as though Kavik should know better than to ask for such confidential information.

"Ah…about two months then I'm guessing?"

"Nope. You're stone cold."

"One and a half?"

"You're getting warmer…."

"One?"

"Watch out, you'll get burned."

Kavik's eyebrows went up and he looked at his brother unbelievingly, his eyes sparkling with mirth. "Jeez, I see you two certainly didn't waste any time…."

Balto favored him with a sly smile and a conspiratorial wink. "Oh…we had some _rudimentary_ form of self-control…but not much."

"Yeah, but four _weeks_?"

"_Well_, not that it's any of _your_ business, but Jenna can be very…ah…_persuasive_ when she wants to be." Balto replied, taking on an overly exasperated tone.

Kavik snorted. "Huh, yeah right. I'm sure she had to try **_SO_** hard to get you to even **_DREAM_** of playing along with her."

Balto grinned. "You've got me there, chief."

Kavik snickered. "I'll bet she had you jumping up and down like a puppy, with your tail wagging and everything." Grinning like an idiot, he widened his eyes to an unbelievable size and said, in a somewhat shaky voice, " '_Really Jenna? I'm gonna get to third base _already_? Wow you almost make this too easy –_ '"

"All right, all right, I wasn't _that_ bad." Balto interrupted, eyebrows knitting together in slight irritation. His expression softened and he let out a somewhat defeated sigh. "But…ah, damn…yes, she was the one in control…" He smiled roguishly. "For the first half an hour or so, anyway."

"She had you whipped from the start, you dog, admit it. You loved her so much you would've even gotten down on you belly and _crawled_ for her if she'd asked you to."

His brother sighed wistfully. "Yeah…but _man_ was she ever **_good_** at it…."

Kavik looked at him with a mixture of pity and understanding. "_Well_…I don't know if I should be impressed or disgusted…." He paused, considered, and then said with a snigger, "actually, now that I think about it…I'm feeling both right now. How the mighty have fallen…you rescued a sled team in a blizzard, saved countless lives, got the girl of your dreams…." He sighed wistfully, shooting Balto a cocky smile. "…And then _she_ gets a hold of _you_ when you finally reach one of the best parts of your relationship…."

"Ah, so the almighty 'Voice of Experience' rears its white head, does it?"

"Go eat dead moss, _wolf/dog_."

"Listen to the pot calling the kettle '_black_'."

"Go chase your tail then, why don't you? I'm sure that would keep you occupied and out of my fur for _at least_ the rest of today."

"Snappy comeback, though I can't help thinking that I've heard it before…about a million times."

"I'm not surprised; it's almost as old and mangy as _you_ are."

"You've hardly any room to preach to me about the virtues of patience **_OR_** control when it comes to mating. Jenna and I knew each other for at least three or four years before all the hanky panky got started." Balto chuckled as he dealt the larger hybrid a light tap to the shoulder. "If I recall correctly, you and a certain silver wolf named Lakota conceived _your_ litter about three or four **_months_** after you'd first met…." The words had come out of his mouth before he'd had time to rethink what such a statement would do to his brother. Balto winced and wished heartily that he'd never spoken. What was he thinking? Bringing up _that_ ugly subject up at a time like this? And on today of all days?

The look that crossed Kavik's face did little to allay his shame; the snowy wolf/dog managed to hold onto his smile…but the warm glow emanating from his blue eyes seemed to flicker as though a wave of sadness threatened to envelop him. Balto looked away, a bad taste in his mouth and an uncomfortable weight in his heart. How could he have been so foolish as to forget?

For a time, neither spoke nor moved. The silence between them was now much thicker, as heavy as a blanket of newly fallen snow. From the corner of one eye, Balto could see his wolven brother contemplating the thick woods just outside of Nome. He didn't need to see his face to know Kavik had shed a tear or two and was thinking of his beloved Lakota, who had been first his friend and then, for a time that had not been nearly long enough, his mate.

Finally, Balto spoke up. He had to say something, anything to comfort his sibling. He couldn't stand to see him like this. "Look, I'm…" he began but Kavik gently shook his head.

"It's all right," he said, turning and flashing Balto a small smile. The look of longing buried beneath that carefully crafted mask of indifference nearly broke his heart. "I'm the one who should be apologizing; it's been nearly four years now since she died and I know I should be getting used to it by now…but…" He swallowed. "…I still miss her. Even after all this time…."

"No need to apologize," Balto replied, regarding Kavik with a soft and comforting smile. "You miss her. That's to be expected. Nobody says we go on missing those we lost, but we do anyway. It's just how it is…." He sighed heavily. "It took me six years to completely get over our mother's passing…six whole years."

Kavik's smile grew wistful as he recalled what memories he had of Aniu, their birth mother, and her mate, Loki. "I know how hard that must've been for you…." He sighed and smiled wanly. "But…in a way, I envy you."

Balto looked at him, befuddlement scrawled on his face. "Why?"

"Because," he replied, a small smile spreading across his face, "out of all of us, you were the one who got to be with her the longest."

"True…but when she died, that only made it all the harder to deal with…so, in a way, _I_ envy _you_."

Kavik sighed heavily. "Sometimes I wonder how we can suffer so much, yet still continue to go on living…."

Balto sighed. "For the longest time, I didn't know what to do. It hurt to even think about her…but with Jenna's help…after a while it stopped hurting so much." He said, eyes growing slightly misty as he delved back into the past. "With someone who's willing to share my pain, the load got easier and easier to bear until finally, it didn't hurt to think about her…and I could get past the fact that she was gone and focus on what was really important; all the good memories I have of her…."

Balto stopped suddenly, somewhat embarrassed. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make a speech…. Listen, the bottom line is that…I just want you to know that I'm here for you, that we all are." He nuzzled his brother affectionately.

"Thanks…" Kavik replied, giving his smaller sibling a lighthearted blow to the shoulder with one large forepaw. "It's just…with it being the day she died…." He trailed off, unable to say any more.

Suddenly, his face brightened and he let out a chuckle. "Listen to me! What the heck am I doing, dredging up that depressing stuff at a time like this?" he chuckled. "We should be laughing, celebrating my niece and nephew's newfound love for one another!"

"Amen to _that_…." Balto replied, also chuckling.

"So, back to the subject at hand; if I recall…we were just beginning to probe into what could soon be an extension to our ever prosperous family…." Kavik said slyly, one eyebrow raised, his eyes sparkling humorously. "Oh, wait till Kemo hears! He'll probably wet himself from excitement!"

"Oh no we _weren't_, and he's not hearing about this for at least a week," Balto interjected quickly. If there was one thing he was most certainly not ready for, it was grandkids, or his brother's words of sage advice, which could be a little too cryptic at times. "I don't even want to _think_ about it. I'm still getting used to not having to do anything but sit on my butt and watching all of them grow up…."

"Yeah…you're right. They were all quite a handful when they were younger…God, were they speedy little devils!" Kavik said, whistling at the memory of one particular afternoon romp where he had been swamped not only Balto and Jenna's litter, but Kaltag and Tricksey's as well. "Besides…you're still too young to be called Grandpa yet."

Grinning, Balto fixed him with his enchanting eyes and growled in mock anger. "Watch it buster; I might be starting to gray around the edges, but I'm still young enough to whop your tail."

"As I recall, the last time we had an honest-to-Gods fight, it was _I_ who was doing the tail-whopping, not _you_, oh-so-forgetful brother of mine." Kavik replied dryly. "But," he said, adopting a more serious tone, "in reality you really should start to prepare yourself for that inevitable eventuality…."

"Gee, thanks for the tip, **_Dad_**,." Balto replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "But, not to rain on your parade, but unlike me, I'm happy to say Kodi knows how to control himself when it comes to _that_."

"You two have had '_The Talk_' then?" Kavik asked, in a tone that seemed to suggest that he already knew the answer.

"Yes, we did, thank you, and it went very smoothly. Besides, he knows what both of us already do; if he and Dusty have pups too soon, it would jeopardize his job on the Mail Team."

"Not to mention hers as well," Kavik added. He paused and a sudden devilish grin lit up his face. Balto looked on with growing trepidation; whenever you saw that look on Kavik's face, nothing good would come of it. "I do believe you've miscalculated, Balto."

"And where pray tell, did I falter?" Balto asked, beginning to feel a little uneasy.

"Well…we've established the fact that Kodi knows how to control himself (and that he knows what to do when the time comes)…but here's a little something you forgot to check up on; _Kodi_ may know enough to check himself…but can the same be said for our sweet, innocent little Dusty?" Kavik asked and then burst out laughing at the way Balto's face went the color of ashes in a woodstove.

"Oh crap…I forgot. And if they…."

"Yup…better hope they don't decide to throw caution to the winds and have at it, because if I know Dusty…." Kavik let loose a whistle and shook his head sadly. "Man…I hate to say this, but he'll probably end up whipped just like his father…not to mention his uncle."

"Well…damn." Balto said finally, after shaking his head a few times to get the blood flowing to it once again. "I guess…I guess we'll just have to hope Dusty's injuries put off any moonlit walks in the woods tonight, eh?" He said with a chuckle and smiled…but then frowned at the way his brother's face had suddenly darkened.

"What is it?" He asked, not liking the smell of mingled self-loathing and fear now beginning to seep from under Kavik's fur. Balto no longer felt happy; their good spirits from only a few moments before had been brutally murdered in the face of that bleak expression. "Kavik what's – "

"I ran into some dogs in the alleyway between the General's Store and the Hospital earlier today…after Kodi and the Team pulled in." Kavik said. The light in his eyes seemed to darken as his troubled mind began to recall the early morning's unpleasant events. "One of them was Forest, that brute they brought in to replace Dusty. I saw him sneak away while everyone else was preoccupied and I didn't like the way he did it, so I followed them, just to be sure that everything was all right…and I overheard them talking about doing something to Dusty….God, how could I be so _stupid_ as to forget?"

And, as the story of exactly how and what Kavik had overheard began to slowly unfold, Balto shivered and felt a finger of cold fear caress his spine. '_I'm not liking the sound of this,_' he thought, and looked out towards Nome again. The sun had almost set by now…which meant night would soon be upon them…and night was always the best time to catch your enemy on their blindside….

'_No…I'm not liking this one bit._'

((()-()))

She couldn't believe it.

Even though she kept telling herself all this wasn't too good to be true, that it was real and not just some wonderfully fantastic dream, her mind still had trouble accepting the fact that less than an hour ago, the dog of her dreams had confessed his love for her. It was the stuff of fairy tales and legends! Whoever heard of a Princess finding her True Love these days? Whoever heard of a Prince winning the hand of the Lady Fair in this age of electricity and indoor plumbing?

She had long ago dreamed of finding her own Prince Charming, back when she had still been a pup and her uncle had told them all a slew of great and wonderful tales. She had held onto the idea for a year or two…but it had slowly lost its luster as she matured and her experience with males grew with her. After two failed relationships – both of which had held only a little potential to begin with – all the glamour of her childhood fantasies had been dispelled. Unlike the dogs or wolves from her uncle's stories, those who frequented the real world were rude and self-centered pigs that prized her only for her bodily charm more often than not. She had begun to give up hope of ever finding her True Love…but all that had changed when he had been added to their team….

Kodi… 

She looked at him lovingly, smiling and letting her eyes roam over his sleeping form with none of the little-girl shyness she had suffered from during her formative years. His fur was like sleek, dark burgundy, his muscles lean and firm and he was oh so very easy on the eyes. She lowered her head onto her paws once more, snuggling closer to the bulky warmth of his side, loving the rich scent of cinnamon that teased her nose.

Out of all the others, he had been the easiest to talk to, she recalled now, lying beside him in their sleeping quarters on his bed of sweet-smelling hay. It hadn't really been a surprise; more like a relief. Everyone else on the team had been such a stranger to her (with the exception of Nova and he had only joined their ranks last year). Sure, they were a good bunch of guys and none of them made tasteless jokes like the males on her previous team had done, but when Kodi had come on, everything had changed.

He was her age and they had grown up together, so it was no shock that he got on with her the best out of the six of them. She'd often gone to him when she'd needed someone to talk to, someone she could trust, and he had done the same. Both had listened and conversed on a variety of sometimes troubling subjects with ease surprising to both, despite their already close relationship. He had been there for her and she had been there for him, watching out for one another, just as they had done so many years ago…back when her had first learned Kavik was Kodi's uncle…

She shivered, unable to help herself. It had been almost three years since it had happened, but the memory of being kidnapped by that…that _demon_ still gave her nightmares once in a great while.

_Juji…._

Another shiver racked her curvaceous frame; just thinking his name was enough to put a scare into her. He had been the first manifestation of pure evil she had ever witnessed in the world around her…and he'd also been the worst, and hopefully last. Juji had captured her and Kodi, along with their siblings for use in some diabolical plan that, fortunately, had never come to fruition. A team of dogs from Nome had rescued them…or tried to anyway, as Star and Angel had been forced to flee for their lives before they were able to spirit the two of them off to safety….

They had been taken to Juji's hiding place and put under the watchful eyes of a brown wolf named Timber, who had done what he could to comfort them in their parents' absence. He had been an old friend of Kavik's and, following a midnight rendezvous with his old friend, had tried to sneak them out in the middle of the following night when…. She shook her head and shivered again, not wanting to think about it.

"…Dusty…?"

She jumped as her lover's voice snapped her out of her perusal of those grim days. Unbeknownst to her, the tremors of her body had apparently waked the handsome Husky laying beside her. She watched as he lifted his head, blinked once or twice, trying to clear the sleep from his eyes and looked at her, confused by her skittishness.

"What is it, Baby? What's wrong?" he asked, sensing her fear, concern now evident in his tone and body.

She shook her head, a little abashed. "…Nothing." She said, hoping to put off a bout of questions she knew he would ask and not wanting to disturb the tranquil mood they'd been in since confessing to each other.

Smiling that way he did when he knew she wasn't being completely honest, he licked her muzzle and nuzzled her neck. "Is it nothing…or, maybe something?" he asked, looking at her with those soft brown eyes of his.

She sighed, smiling in spite of herself now. What could it hurt? He was here for her and if anyone would understand why she'd felt the way she had…he would. "Well…it's just…I was thinking about how it was when you came to the team…about how we always used to talk to each other…and that got me thinking about…. _Him_." She finished somewhat lamely, not wanting to say the name, not wanting to feel it slide out over her tongue and past her lips like puke.

Knowing whom she meant without having to ask, he moved closer and nuzzled her once more, licking her face. "…It's okay…I was thinking about him too earlier today…." His voice was soft and reassuring in her ears as she melted into him, surrendering herself to his caresses. "I can't say I relish the memories either…." He finished somewhat sarcastically, making her giggle. "Speaking of the team…" he said, his tone becoming more serious, "there's something I've been meaning to ask you…."

"What?" She asked, already knowing what was on his mind.

"What are we going to tell them, about us, I mean?"

She shrugged. "Honestly, I really don't think it'll be much of a problem…Kirby can pretty much read you like an open book, and he's worse than Sylvie when it comes to keeping a secret so I highly doubt it that he hasn't already told the others about you and me."

"But how would he know? I haven't told anyone about us…well, except my Dad."

"I told my Mom…" She grinned slyly. "I almost forgot; I told our uncle too."

"Oh no, you didn't." Kodi cried disbelievingly. "Come on, you're joking. You've got to be kidding me."

"What's the big deal? I needed someone to talk to and he's just as dear to me as he is to you, so I went to him." She giggled. "Would you rather I went to your parents instead?"

"No, I'm actually relived you went to him instead of my Mom…" he grinned sheepishly. "She has a way of giving out information without meaning to."

"I'm glad I went to him too, as a matter of fact…" she said with a smile.

"…Why…?" Kodi asked, not liking the look she was giving him; he felt totally exposed, like he was out of his depth here.

"Because he told me all about your conversations and how you think I'm more beautiful than the sunrise on the first day of spring and that you smell like Wild Flowers mixed with milk and honey." She leaned in close and asked, in a low, almost frightened voice. "…Is it true?"

Kodi looked at her closely, trying to decide if she was just pulling his leg or actually being serious. He looked deep into her blue eyes and saw that she was in fact, a little scared of what his answer would be. He felt his love for her well up inside him and he leaned down and licked her muzzle and then whispered into her ear; "Yes…it is. Every single word of it, I swear to God. I love you, Dusty."

"And I love you, Kodi." She said, and nuzzled his neck and licked his face.

For a few seconds, a blessed silence between them held, then Kodi said. "Well now, I think it's my turn to hear your story…" he said, his own sly smile popping up as he looked down at her puzzled face. "Fair is fair, right?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, confused.

"Well, since you know what I really think of you, now it's only right and proper that I get to hear what you think about me, so…what did you think of me, when I first joined the team I mean?" Now it was his turn to be anxious and more than a little uneasy. The considering look Dusty adopted didn't help matters either.

"Well…" she said slowly, knowing that this was torture but not really minding, "I guess my first thought was that I was amazed how big you'd gotten and…" she blushed, "…and how handsome you looked…." She finished, looking up at him with those smiling eyes again.

"Did you think I was _hot_?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows up and down in a manner that made her burst out laughing. "Was I a stud, huh, was I?"

"Oh yes, you were just so incredibly…incredibly _sexy_ that I wanted to run over to you and scream, '_I'm yours! Take me now!_'!" she gasped between sporadic gusts of laughter.

"Yeah…I have…I have that effect on most women!" he managed to choke out and that set them off again, howling with laughter until they were both fit to split.

When at last even the last of their giggles had died away, they simply lay there, each taking comfort from the warmth afforded from the other. Finally, Dusty spoke up. "This reminds me of our third or fourth run together, remember? That time it was so cold we had to share a foxhole in order to keep from freezing to death?"

"Yeah," he replied dreamily. "I do, although I don't recall liking the weather as much as I did the company that night…." He added with a conspiratorial wink.

"Can't say I do either…" she replied with a lick to his muzzle. "…But I can say I remember how close together we were…." She added mischievously.

He smiled. It was that slyly twisted one that let you know he was entertaining somewhat seductive thoughts. "Well, it was cold in there and you were shivering, so, being the big, strapping gentleman I was, I couldn't very well let you freeze to death, so I though I might warm you up…."

"…By all but laying on top of me? How charming, my Prince…" she retorted and chuckled.

"_You're_ the one who said you enjoyed it…." He reminded her, sniggering.

She half-snorted and cocked an eyebrow, a sly slime playing at the corners of her lips. "Speak for yourself, I never _said_ I enjoyed it…"

"Is that so?" he asked, raising his own eyebrows. "If I recall, you weren't exactly screaming and yelling for me to get off you either, my dear…."

"Don't get all technical with me, buddy-_boy_. I was cold and you were warm, it's as simple as that." She said, kissing him again.

"Forgive me, my dear, I was but a stupid, mewling greenhorn in those bygone days of old." He replied with a theatrical little head turn that made her laugh.

"What do you mean by '_was_'? You may be the sexiest dog in the kennel but you're _still_ not the sharpest." She said, giggling and kissing him again.

"Is that so?" he asked coyly, leaning down and returning her kisses with some of his own, burying his face in the mane of fur encircling her neck. "Well, let's see if I can make up for what I lack in brains with pure animal magnetism…."

"Excuse _me_, what's this about animal magnetism? That's got to be the worst line I've ever heard!" She laughed. "You're lucky I can't go very far or I'd walk right out on _your_ sorry butt after that one!"

"_Ouch_, girl, you fight _dirty_," he said, nibbling her ear and licking her muzzle, as she responded by rubbing her head under his jaw to attack his Adam's apple with her rough tongue.

"Darn straight…" was all she could manage. Her tongue was currently doing too much work on Kodi's face and neck to spare much time for idle chitchat.

'_God does he taste good…_' was all the gray husky who was slowly but surely becoming intoxicated with the rich aroma of her lover's scent could think as she and Kodi continued to 'make out.' They went on and on, tasting, feeling, memorizing every contour of each other's face and muzzle. She was soon panting and would've been sweating – if dogs could sweat that is – from all the activity and her heart was hammering. Her body felt fever hot and a steady need was beginning to build within her. All she wanted was for this moment to last forever….

But of course, like all good things, it couldn't; her burning lungs soon forced her to break for oxygen and it was then that she noticed that the two of them must've been doing some rolling around…because the hay was spread out all over the floor…and Kodi was on top of her…his body almost unbearably close to hers….

"…Kodi…?" she panted, her head spinning with the waves of emotion and sensory overload their session had sent crashing into her frazzled brain.

"…Yes…?" he replied, his voice low and husky.

"…Do you want – "

_**BANG!**_

((()-()))

The door crashed inward as if it had been thrown open by a head-on charge from a rampaging Grizzly. Kodi's head shot up, his eyes wide, mouth open, body rigid.

'_What the hell?_' was all he had time for before the sight of the three figures standing in the doorway blew every gasket in his brain. It was a shock that the top of his head didn't simply pop right off. Dusty too had twisted around beneath him to see who had interrupted their fun and what she saw lit her entire face up like a red torch

'_Oh…My…Freaking…God…_'

Standing in the doorway, were three of their team members, Kirby, Ralph and Nova. Kodi guessed they must've been talking too loudly to hear the commotion from their rolling around, or they most certainly would've steered clear of the shed. Now, whatever conversation they might've been having die in their throats and they simply stared and the two interlocked Huskies with eyes the size of dinner plates and open jaws that hung almost to the hay-covered floor. Kirby and Nova simply looked like they'd received a good kick to the gut whilst Ralph looked like he was ready to pass out or maybe…you know…_ralph_.

Finally, after what seemed like eons, Kirby closed his mouth and looked away. Glancing to either side of him, he saw Nova follow suit and Ralph divert his gaze to the floor and both were pink cheeked. Returning his gaze to the now positively blazing couple on the floor, he cleared his throat, looked down at the floor, seeming uncertain, and then decisively lifted his head once more. Unlike his comrades, he was beginning to look like a dog with a sunburned face. He gulped and forced a smile that looked about as genuine as a six-dollar bill.

"Uh…hey there guys…" he said, and gave a nervous chuckle. "Uh…sorry…is this a bad time?"

((()-()))

**Author's Note**

Well guys guess you're in luck; it seems we'll have one more chapter to go after all…heh heh…uh…yeah. Alright, you know the drill. Tell me what you think – especially the dialogue. I'll try to update as soon as I can but, sadly, I can make no promises, what with Cross Country and school being evil the way they are. Thanks again for all your patience and support!

LoL

**BaltoLuver63**


	12. Chapter 12: The Hunters

Sorry for the long update wait guys, but I'm not doing so hot lately. Recently, just last thrusday in fact, I had a severe muscle cramp in my left leg after practice where my whole leg sort of locked up and wouldn't move for about five minutes or so. It was more painfull than it is within my ability to describe...but it kept me from running in our meet on Saturday. I hope you'll all pray for my recovery! Anyway, that's pretty much why it took me so long to get this friggin' update up and running. Thanks for sticking with me though! Enjoy the chapter!_**  
**_

_**Chapter 12  
The Hunters**_

Forest was in a foul mood.

Even Pride could tell without having to confer with Sabbath, and for all his physical prowess, it could not be said that the Malamute/Husky had much to offer in the way of brains. In truth, he wasn't much smarter than a bucket of rocks. '_What an idiot,_' Sabbath thought, staring with mild contempt at the Husky sleeping across the room from him. The dog in question was currently lying on his back, mouth open, snoring loud enough to make the cockroaches crawling through the hay scurry back to where they'd come; into the walls.

Sabbath glared around at their surroundings, his mood quickly beginning to darken as he took in what passed for their temporary 'home', and even going far enough to identify it as such was pushing it. The shed the three would-be murderers were currently cooped up in was hospitable in only the most basic sense; the structure had apparently gone through several periods of varying users, including cats, mules and some ugly malign sub odor the black-hearted killer vaguely identified as that of a skunk of all things. The walls were moldering and termite-infested and they had only a sparse scattering of decaying hay beneath them to keep their paws safe from the wicked splinters that often protruded from the floorboards. As for means of an exit, they might as well have not had a door at all; their pitiful excuse for a doggy door was a ragged hole hastily punched out by their drunken master with a few hasty axe swings with nothing so fancy as covering to keep out the chilling wind. All in all, Sabbath supposed, the place was a dump.

Hell, it was like sleeping in a goddamn dumpster…nothing at all like the sparkling clean, pine-scented _suite_ Lover-Boy and his little slut were probably screwing around in right now. Sabbath had been to their cozy little home, oh yes indeed. Before following Little Miss Bitch off to her sweet uncle's, the crafty canine had decided to have a poke around her humble abode, just to see how the other half lived. He was at first slightly surprised at what he found, but the surprise had quickly curdled to hate. While the three of them had to contend with their stagnant water, week-old scraps and freezing nights, these bastards enjoyed fresh water, new hay, fine food and, worst of all, access to the comforting heat of the woodstove.

He had been sourly tempted to trash the place out of jealousy, but had refrained, knowing that the sounds would probably bring not only neighboring mutts, but the People as well…and they were the masters of his fate. To anger them would be to flirt with death and disownment…besides, he'd had little Dustykins to follow. He was not ignorant; Sabbath knew that Kodi and his team were by no means in 'the lap of luxury', but they were sure a hell of a lot better off than they were, and that was reason enough to hate them.

'_Spoiled brats,_' he thought, lip curling in distaste. '_Bet he's screwing her right now, in front of that god forsaken furnace. Well, get it while you can, _Lover-Boy_, because by tomorrow, she'll have been mine and you'll both just be so much rotting meat for the worms…._' The putrid though lifted his spirits a bit and he grinned sadistically. Pride snorted in his sleep and rolled over, squishing a roach or two under him, mumbling and making unintelligible sounds in his throat. Sabbath, knowing it was just how Pride was, tried his best to ignore it. Unfortunately for the sleeping Husky, the recollections of Kodi and Dusty had shortened his fuse considerably. Finally, when he could stand the noise no longer, the foul-tempered lady-killer rose, crossed the three-foot gap separating them and admonished a sharp nip to the annoying Husky's ear.

Pride awoke with a start, yelping more from pain than surprise and looked around, confused and already angry. "What the hell was that for Sabbath?" he growled, glaring daggers at the smaller dog. "You damn near bit my ear off!"

"Oh calm down you pansy," Sabbath sneered in return, his golden eyes flashing dangerously. "I just couldn't stand your Momma's-Boy whining anymore so I decided to shut you up."

Pride stood, nostrils flaring; he was in no mood for Sabbath's cold and calculating attitude right now. "I oughta beat the crap outta you for that, you know?" he growled, baring his teeth. "Show you what happens when you mess with me…."

The Samoyed snorted derisively, eyes gleaming. "Like you did earlier today when the Wolf got the drop on us? If so, then I'm _just_ terrified." He added, oozing sarcasm from every pore.

"I'm warning you; if you don't shut you trap right now, I'll – "

"You'll _what_, hotshot? What exactly _will_ you do if I just decide to keep on talking?" He paused, giving Pride time to answer. When, as expected, none came, he favored the other with a nasty smile. "That's right, you big lump. _That's_ exactly what you'll do because you've got no spine."

"I'm warning you, one more word – "

"You'll what? Kill me? Rip my throat out?" Sabbath gave a dry laugh. "Didn't anyone ever clue you in to the fact that threats lose their effectiveness if they're never carried out? Actions speak louder than words, Pride."

The Malamute's cheeks burned with anger and his body shook with rage. "You little bastard! I'll kill you, I'll – " He began to move as if to make a lunge for Sabbath, who didn't seem perturbed in the slightest. Quit the contrary, he looked absolutely delighted by the possibility of a confrontation.

"Pride! Sabbath!" Forest's voice rang out hard and flat like a bullet from a gun. At the sound, both stopped and looked in his direction. "Knock it off, the both of you! We've got a very important matter to attend to in an hour or so and I won't have the two of you going off and blowing all your steam on each other when you should be saving it for those two snot-nosed brats."

"But Forest, he–"

The albino was in Pride's face before the other could even blink, his eyes reduced to acidic green slits. "Am I talking to myself, hmm? Do you think I enjoy the sound of my own voice, Pride?" He lashed out and struck the larger dog across the muzzle, drawing dark blood. "WELL, DO YOU?" he roared.

Sniffing back the blood that wanted to come pouring out of his nose, Pride shook his head, regarding his leader uncertainly. "No…but–"

"THEN WHY THE HELL DO I STILL HEAR WORDS COMING OUT OF YOUR MOUTH, YOU STUPID FLEABAG?" Forest roared again, shoving his face forward, forcing Pride to back up until he was cowering against the wall. "Do want me to kick your ass for you, is that it?"

"N-no…."

"Then do what I say; keep your mouth shut…." He glanced over his shoulder at Sabbath, who was watching the scene with something that bordered on amusement. "Something funny?" he growled.

"No, nothing at all…" Sabbath replied in a bored tone. He knew when Forest was getting ready to hit the roof and he usually kept to their leader's good side when he saw one of these kinds of outbursts coming. Unfortunately, Pride wasn't as perceptive as he, and so he usually went and stuck his paw in the proverbial bear trap most of the time.

Glaring anyway, Forest turned and padded away from them, sticking his head out of their little doggy door and into the frosty air. Night was falling. He sniffed loudly three times, seemed to think something over, and then drew his head back in. He looked at them, his stormy countenance from before now replaced with a mixture of malicious pleasure and anticipation. "Never mind all that now boys…the game is about to begin." He grinned, and went over to Pride, who cringed away from him like a frightened pup. Forest rolled his eyes despairingly. What was he going to do with this idiot? Shaking his head, he helped the bleeding mutt to his paws.

"Suck it up Pride," he said, giving the dog in question a light pat on a bloody cheek with one forepaw. "Let's move. We've got places to go and people to kill." Grinning, looking quite the madman, he and Sabbath slipped out then had to help Pride – for whom the doggy door was almost too small to fit through – muscle his way out into the street.

'_What a moron he is,_' Sabbath though snidely, looking at Pride as he struggled to extricate his hind quarters from where they had gotten stuck, '_what a complete and utter moron…._' And if you didn't believe it, just think about how Pride, who was about three or four inches taller than their leader, allowed Forest to give him beating after beating. There might very well come a day when Pride decided he didn't have to put up with that anymore…and on that day he might very well rip Forest's head right off…. But, sadly for him, today didn't seem to be that day.

No, tonight was theirs for the taking. Tonight, the three of them would finally put Lover-Boy and Little-Miss-Bitch out of their misery, in the most explicitly cruel and gruesome manner imaginable, of course. It wouldn't be fair to send the two of them off without first getting whatever pleasure they could from the actual act of murder…among other things that was.

Chuckling, barely managing to contain himself from breaking out in a maddening cackle, Sabbath slunk after Forest with Pride bringing up the rear, beginning to make the slow, arduous journey to where their quarry had decided to spend the night under the stars….

((()-()))

"Oh…my…God…" Kirby moaned, covering his eyes with his paws, pulling his face into a complex mass of furry wrinkles. He was in an agony of embarrassment. He was completely out of his depth here. God how do you deal with something like this? "Oh…damn!" he burst out, rolling over and subsequently banging his head on the floor.

Ralph sighed. "Kirby, chill. It's not like it's that big a deal, okay?"

The older dog's head shot up, eyes narrowing. "Not a big deal?" he repeated, managing to sound both incredulous and indignant in the same breath. "Ralph, you moron, we walked in on them! Right when they were about to…y'know…." He finished adding to the effect of the statement by making some vague gesture with his paws that totally escaped the perplexed Ralph.

"I think not." Nova interjected.

"Huh?" Kirby turned his gaze towards Nova instead, giving him that '_I'm sorry, did I hear you right?_' look, all wide eyes and open mouthed. "What do you mean '_I think not_'?" the tan dog demanded, brows knitting together. "I mean, they were lying on top of each other for crying out loud! I honestly fail see how they could've been doing anything but."

"He's got a point, Nova." Ralph added. "I can't think of anything else they could've been up to…"

"Probably right about that…" Nova sighed. He shrugged, looking at Kirby. "Still, it's nothing to get all bent out of shape over man. Just forget about it."

Kirby looked at him incredulously. "Forget about it, are you serious? You think I'm capable of just magically erasing that, that image from my mind?"

"Just don't think about it. I'm not."

"Nova, they were getting ready to do it in your _bed_ when we came in, remember?" Kirby reminded him, making the Chinook's face go a sudden ashy gray.

"Oh…God, I think I'm gonna hurl."

"Oh, don't be such a _girl_, Nova." Ralph chided him, making the dog in question glare daggers at his teammate. "You act like it would've killed you to sleep where they might have. It's just _hay_ for crying out loud."

"Ralph, it's my _bed_ we're talking about here and in case it slipped your mind, that's where I sleep at night. You don't go around fornicating where someone else lays their head down to rest at the end of the day. There's wrong, there's wrong…and then there's **_that_**."

"What do you mean, _fornicating_? Who's to say they were even going to _do_ anything at all?" The gray Husky inquired.

Kirby snorted. "Oh _please_, don't be so naïve, Ralphie. Do you honestly think they weren't about to get 'down and dirty'?"

Ralph seemed to ponder something, his own face becoming troubled and clouded. "Well…I guess they could've been changing the hay around…."

"By rolling around in it?" Kirby asked dryly, raising his eyebrows and shaking his head. "Oh Ralph…you have so much to learn in the ways of Love…."

"What's that s'posed to mean?" the other shot back, sounding slightly hurt. "I've got plenty of experience with love…and girls!" he added almost as an afterthought.

Nova chuckled. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

Nova rolled his eyes and sighed helplessly. "Okay then, _Mr. Suave_," he said, making Kirby snort with laughter, "name one girl you've actually kissed."

"And your Mom doesn't count." Kirby added.

Ralph looked at him, annoyed. "Then neither does yours." He shot back.

"Oh, **_burn_**!" Nova cried gleefully. "You just got burned by Ralph, Kirby! Want me to call the vet?"

"Go play with a hornet's nest, you punk." Kirby growled, but he was smiling nonetheless. "If we could get back to the original question please; Ralph, name one girl you've actually kissed."

The gray Husky's face grew hot and he seemed somewhat flustered. "Ah…well, um…uh Ginger, yeah Ginger!" he finally said, after what looked like much hard thought. He smiled proudly. "She and I made out behind the butcher's shop!"

"Ralph," Kirby said dryly, "that doesn't count, you big knucklehead. You two were practically _pups_–"

"–And the only reason she quote 'kissed' you was because you got your tongue stuck on the side of one of the metal garbage cans out back and the two of us were too busy laughing to help you out."

"It wasn't _my_ fault!" the embarrassed Husky said quickly, trying to find some fault in the story. "You…you guys were the ones who told me to do it!" he said, glaring at Kirby who was trying hard not to laugh and failing miserably.

"Yeah…but you were the genius…who was actually dumb enough…to do what we told you! And in the middle of winter no less!" Kirby choked out, laughing hysterically now.

"I s-_still_ can't b-believe he _fell_ f-for it!" Nova gasped, laughing just as hard, if not harder than Kirby.

"Well…uh…oh, alright I did!" Ralph admitted, cheeks flaring up again. He looked at Kirby, whose laughter had finally ceased, but was still trying to catch his breath. "You don't exactly have any room to talk, Kirby!"

"Why's that, Ralphy-Boy?" the veteran sled dog retorted, raising one eyebrow, lips curved in a cocky half smile. "Please, enlighten me. I'm _dying_ to know."

A sudden light went on in Nova's head. "_Oh_…" he said, giving Kirby a sly sideways sort of look that the other didn't particularly care for. "I remember _now_…"

"Remember _what_?" Kirby asked, annoyed.

"You _know_…"

"No, I don't! Tell me!"

"Don't tell me you've forgotten about…_Cookie_?" Nova asked and then snorted with laughter and had to pause for a moment before he could finish, "I…I remember you were so desperate…to get her to notice you…that…that" here his laughter became overwhelming and he was forced to stop for a few minutes before at last, with tears streaming from his eyes, he gasped; "…That you…you went up to her and said…" Nova adopted a serious face, or tried to anyway, as he didn't seem to be able to keep from grinning. '_Hi, I'm Kirby…and I'm the guy…who's been s-stalking you for the past week_'!"

Kirby looked on, his annoyance steadily building as the two bumbling idiots who called themselves his friends continued to roll on the floor, howling with laughter, tears streaming down their faces. "I wouldn't talk if I were you, Nova…." He said, voice lowering ominously.

"Oh…oh yeah, why's that?" Nova inquired, as his laughter began to finally subside to short chuckling bursts.

"Because," Kirby said, grinning himself now, "if I recall correctly…you happened to have a soft spot for a certain pretty, young Husky by the name of _Kalla_ not too long ago yourself…and still do, as a matter of fact." He finished and then laughed at the way Nova's face abruptly crumpled into an indignant scowl.

"Oh my _God_!" Ralph exclaimed, looking at Nova in horrified disbelief with eyes the size of dinner plates. "You like Kodi's _sister_? What is _wrong_ with you? Have you no _shame_?"

"That's hardly an issue here…." He reminded Kirby with a huff, "and, I happen to know that Kodi didn't have, nor has he ever had a problem with me taking a liking to his sister, thank you very much. And, just so you know, _she_ doesn't have a problem with it either…so, I don't see what's left for you two gloat about."

"Oh really? I fail to see how it doesn't qualify–"

_**CRASH!**_

For the second time that night, the door to their quarters burst open, rebounding violently off the wall and sending a torrent of freezing nocturnal air cascading over Kirby and the others. Needless to say, the three canines were ill prepared for this sudden intrusion of their lighthearted banter and were, to some degree, scared out of their minds. With his heart leaping up from his chest to lodge, quivering on top of his Adam's apple, Kirby jumped to his feet and tried to skitter away from whoever – or whatever – had come barging in unannounced. Ralph yelped in surprise and nearly ran headfirst into the wall in his hurry to get away and Nova…well…he was pretty much scared witless, looking frantically towards the source of the noise with wide, startled eyes with his hackles already beginning to rise.

Their fears quickly dissipated however when they beheld not some bogart or other intimidating beast, but none other than Balto and his brother Kavik. Kirby sighed heavily and looked at the two benign intruders with a mixture of annoyance and relief. "Good God man…you scared us out of a year's life…." He said, placing a paw to his chest in a futile attempt to slow his palpitating heart.

"Hey guys, what's–" Nova began, but Kavik quickly cut him off.

"No time guys! Where are Kodi and Dusty, are they here with you?" The white wolf/dog nearly spat, staring at them with burning eyes that seemed to be looking everywhere at once.

"Kodi and Dusty?" Ralph asked, and then blushed slightly, recalling that evening's most recent – and most embarrassing – event. "Uh…no, they're not, we–"

"God _damn_ it! I knew it, I knew I should've warned them, ah, God curse it all!" Kavik growled, positively snarling in frustration. This alone was enough to catch their attention, as the angelic hybrid almost never swore, _ever_. Kodi himself could have counted the number of times he'd heard his uncle use profanity on the toes of one paw had he only been present. As it was, both he and Dusty were currently in absence, and thusly, Kavik looked, to say the very least, extremely pissed off by this.

"Calm down, Kavik, please! Calm _down_!" Balto cut in hurriedly, moving to console his raging brother, whose outraged disposition was beginning to have an undesirable effect upon the three now very confused and more than a little nervous sled dogs. "Just take a deep breath…don't worry, we'll find them before they do, I promise."

"Right…sorry guys…." Kavik said after a few seconds labored breathing. Making what looked to be an almost physical effort to get himself under control, he asked, with deliberate slowness. "Okay…Kirby, Ralph, Nova, if they're not here with you, then where exactly _are_ they?"

"Uh well…the thing is, Kavik, Balto…we…uh," Nova faltered, torn between what to do. He knew Kodi and Dusty had a right to privacy, but then again, Kavik and Balto seemed really worried about them for some reason…. He swallowed, and then went on. "We…came in when Kodi…well, the two of them were…occupied…and we…sort of interrupted them…so they left." He finished lamely, cheeks burning high. Knowing what their next question would be, he added; "Sorry, Balto, but Kodi didn't tell us where they were going…they looked like they wanted some time alone together, and I didn't want to pry into what wasn't my business to know under the circumstances, so I didn't ask." He looked at them curiously, his brow furrowing in slight worry. "What's all this about anyway? What's wrong?"

"No time to explain!" Balto said quickly as Kavik turned and headed out the door, growling curse after curse under his breath. "Just follow us! We've got to go, NOW!"

With a sinking feeling in all their hearts, the room's four remaining occupants sped out of the room and into the starry night, trying to catch up to Kavik, who was already a ways ahead of them, running with his head bent low to the ground, trying desperately to catch the scent of their quarry.

"What's this…all about, Balto?" Ralph gasped as they began to steadily near the outskirts of town, with Kavik traveling five or ten feet ahead of them, scouting out the trail.

"To make a…long story short…" Balto huffed, "we know who…beat up Dusty…."

"Who?"

"…Forest…along with…two of his friends…."

Ralph looked at him, appalled and open-mouthed. "**_WHAT?_**"

"Son-of-a…I knew…he couldn't…be trusted!" Kirby gasped.

Ralph looked towards Balto. "What…are we…gonna do?"

"We're gonna…kick his…no-good _ass_…that's what!" Nova snarled through clenched teeth.

Balto nodded. "Kavik…overheard them…earlier today…talking about…ambushing the two of them…or something like that…." He gasped, barely able to find the spare wind needed to continue their conversation at the speed they were going. He suddenly raised his head, sniffed and grimaced at putrid odor that tainted the pine-scented night air, baring his teeth in a growl of rage. "_Forest…_the slimeball is already there, DAMN!"

With a snarl of fury, he Kirby, Ralph and Nova charged ahead to join up with Kavik, running as though perused by the very demons of Hell itself.

'_God…Kodi, Dusty…please, let us make it in time…_' Balto mentally pleaded. '_We can't lose you two…._'

((()-()))

**Author's Note**

Well...it seems as though things are coming to a head, eh? Sorry that this chapter was so short, but I did my best, which is all that counts, right? That's what the government wants you to believe anyway...and I know I can't trust them because I've seen Enemy of the State! Ha, take that government! Ahem, anyway, just remember to review, thanks!

**BaltoLuver63**


	13. Chapter 13: The Ambush

_**Chapter 13  
The Ambush **_

Pride lay beside Sabbath, trying to keep his teeth from chattering. God, but it was cold! The snow was like ice against his belly and nether region but that was nothing. It was only the cold and he could deal with it easily enough – he was a sled dog after all – but even a coat as thick as his couldn't shield him from the rapidly dropping temperature forever. Though spring was perhaps only just beginning, already the snow had begun to melt in some areas of the countryside, one of them being the meadow in the woods where Kodi and the team sometimes spent their evenings romping and playing tag. There was still some on the ground, true enough, but a good portion of it was of the sticky, slowly melting variety…meaning that it was now sticking to his fur, making him shiver as the cold slush slowly worked its way through his pelt, caressing his skin with what felt like the very fingers of death itself.

Why did they have to keep sitting here anyway? Their prize was there, right in front of them for God's sake! He didn't know why Forest was so tense; with the way Lover-Boy and his bitch were carrying on, rolling around and slobbering all over each other, he doubted even a whistle blast from an oncoming train would've registered to the two heavily occupied huskies.

The answer was simple of course; Forest was slowly but surely losing it.

It was the truth, really, honest to God it was. Pride might not have been what you'd call the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he had enough brains to realize that their leader's obsessive need to slaughter the two love-struck canines presently engaged not ten feet from their hiding place was slowly beginning to whittle away at whatever mental pillar that kept his sanity intact. Oh, it wasn't driving him stark raving mad, no, not by a long shot. Forest wasn't muttering to himself or trying to talk to birds, but neither could Pride quite bring himself to believe that the sometimes unhealthy gleam he saw in the other's eyes signified mental stability. Not that this changed anything; he would follow Forest wherever he chose to lead them…if for no other reason other than the fact that he knew Forest could still hold the threat of death over his head with confidence.

The big mutt grunted to himself. That might change in the coming years if he had his way, but for now, he was perfectly content to follow his murderous mentor…especially when he was offering such a juicy prize as that delectable gray husky before them. He gazed in slight wonder, temporarily forgetting himself as he watched them go at it. Holy crap…he swallowed, his throat suddenly made very dry, feeling a stir in his loins. He'd had no idea that any female could have so much control over her mate, even when she wasn't on top…. Well, let them enjoy themselves for now. After all, it was the only chance they'd ever get to do the nasty, if they even chose to go so far before death took them.

As far as killing went, Pride had no big qualms about it…as long as it was always him who was doing the bloodletting. As for himself, he had no major qualms about dying…so long as Death took him many years down the road in some mercifully peaceful fashion, in his sleep perhaps, and not at the jaws of an enemy…. He shivered slightly, though he'd long since forgotten the freezing snow. His brow furrowed and his mouth turned down, as though he'd tasted something sour. It wasn't the snow that was bothering him. No, it was the thought of that damnable wolf/dog. He felt his temper begin to rise at the memory. Never before had he been so utterly helpless in the face of an enemy. He hated to admit it, but Sabbath had a point; the brute had just been to damn fast and even now, he marveled at the ease with which he'd bested them. Hell, bested them? Let's be realistic; they hadn't just been bested, they'd been downright _throttled_ – the sizeable lump decorating the side of his head still hurt and he knew his comrades were feeling just as bad as he was. They were lucky to still be alive…and if Kavik or his brother Balto somehow found out about this and came calling….

Pride shook his head, dispelling the disquieting thoughts, or trying to at any rate. He had a job to do, and Forest would have much more than just his head if he was the one who botched it. He looked to his leader for a signal of some kind, anything to tell him what to do…and saw the albino jerk his head, indicating the two lovebirds and draw a forepaw across his throat. The message was clear enough.

_It's go time, boys._

((()-()))

"All right you dumb mutts…they're coming. Stick to the plan and wait for my signal and don't either of you move so much as one god-pounding hair before I give the word or I'll have your eyes."

The warning was little more than a low growl and Forest couldn't be completely sure if the other two had managed to catch it, but he could ill afford to risk scaring off their quarry by raising his voice even by a fraction of an octave now could he? No, mustn't do that, not now when they were so very, very close to success. He glanced to his right and breathed an internal sigh of relief as he saw Sabbath was being a very good boy; keeping himself in check, making sure all was quiet before the coming storm. Forest felt a sinister smile crawl across his face as he saw the Samoyed was on a knife's edge between staying put and jettisoning the plan in favor of simply bolting from cover right now and jumping them while they had their backs turned. The albino Husky really had to admire the true killer in his smaller friend; he was a perfect engine of death, every sense turned all the way up to catch the finest nuance. In all the years they'd known each other, never once had Forest ever seen someone who could stand up to Sabbath in the heat of battle…until today that was.

He gave his head a little shake, trying to clear his mind and focus his attention on the impending attack, yet thoughts of that damnable Kavik still rung in his ears '_I don't kid around when it comes to disciplinary measures…I'll rip you in ways that'll make you useless to any woman…. I'll smell it on you and your mates like bad meat…._' Was he a little on edge? Sure? Who the hell wouldn't be after something like _that_?

Though he'd done his best to prepare a plan that could – and would – work in any kind of situation during their assault, Forest was more than a little worried. It had never occurred to him to factor a vengeful lupine that could probably snap his neck like a twig into his plans before this afternoon, and there'd been no time to adjust for this potentially deadly variable….

The knowledge left him feeling a little uneasy. Truth be told, in his heart of hearts it was not the possibility of failure to capture his two targets that daunted him, but the memory of the violent threat the he was sure the hybrid would make good on and then some if he were to somehow get wind of their plan. Impossible, of course; there was no way he could've figured it all out since that afternoon in the span of only a few hours. No one could've; they'd been far too careful, too crafty to get caught.

Still…there was always the possibility…however remote the chances….

Suppose for a moment that the Big Bad Wolf had by some miracle or another figured out their plans or learned of their little bit of fun in the alley – for one would lead to the other, just as sure as crap sticks to a blanket. What then? Go galloping off in search of them with bared teeth and murder on the brain? Forest supposed it was very likely, but it just didn't seem to fit somehow. Though their meeting had been brief and he hadn't been any kind of shape make many useful observations, when he looked back on it later, he would decide that Kavik had something on his side other than brute strength; the big S.O.B. was smart.

His plan had been simple and he'd had only a few minutes to prepare, but he'd executed it with militaristic precision, first using the element of surprise and then pushing them into a corner, effectively cutting off their escape. Forest didn't know what kind of world had shaped such a creature, but he knew it sure as hell hadn't been a quiet place like Nome. No, more likely he'd been hardened by the cold and calculating wolves of the Alaskan wilderness…and someone had taught him well, that was for damn sure and…and….

'…_And every wolf or dog worth his fur knows that there's strength in numbers._' Forest swallowed, as the notion reared its ugly head again. It had occurred to him that if Kavik didn't come right off, he'd bring others, but like the wolf/dog himself, Forest had had no time to make room for this variable either, and now here it was, daunting him again with its nagging presence. He couldn't say how many would come, not for sure, but he suspected that a good portion of the canine population might rally to the cause, for Little Dustykins was well liked throughout the town. So they might have a mob of dogs to contend with…and maybe even a few wolves as well, for wasn't there a pack reputed to be skulking somewhere deep within these very woods, and who would know the lay of the land better than they? Dogs they might be able to deal with, but wolves were another thing altogether. Against their superior size, speed and strength, the three of them would be lucky to last the night.

Forest gave his head a shake, knowing he was risking exposure and possibly their chance of a successful ambush, but doing it all the same. He needed to clear his head and think! Here he was, getting all worked up, and over some sneaky old wolf that might or might not catch them even as they took their prey, if he had the brains to figure it all out in time? He snorted.

No way, no way in Hell….

((()-()))

He couldn't stop grinning – if you could go so far as to call that toothy rectos twisting across his face a grin. This was just so good, so utterly delicious…almost too good to be true. He'd thought it would be easy to get the drop on them…but never in a million years had he ever dared dream that the whole business would go so smoothly. His eyes blazed with witch light as he recounted it all, recalling every detail with unnatural clarity…Little Miss Bitch and Lover Boy, rolling around on top of one another in the snow, too engrossed in the possibility of finally making it happen to notice the three of them until it was too late.

Sabbath licked his chops, bending his elegant neck down to bury his nose in the Bitch's fur as she continued to writhe under him. He took no notice of her struggles for freedom – it was amazing she had the strength for what pitiful resistance she'd been able to put up. She moaned and snarled in fury, trying once more to buck him off, hating the feel of his cold nose pressing against fur, the skin beneath still fever-hot from the recently interrupted snowy romp with her lover. He inhaled that heavenly scent again; the reek of her was sickly sweet, like archaic spice and ginger….

His golden eyes roamed over her body, relishing the beautiful visage held in place beneath his strong paws. Her fur was sleek and soft beneath his flexing paws, flowing like silk and softer than velvet. The muscles in her legs and back coiled weakly, promising hours upon hours of satisfaction of a very basic kind in the not-so-distant future if he had his way. He felt the blood rush to his head, felt it all but pounding at his temples as his lamb slaughterer's eyes traced the elegant arch of her neck as she tried unsuccessfully to catch him between her snapping jaws. Gods…what a _prize_…

A malign sort of pleasure coursed through him as he felt her stiffen as he ran his nose up the back of her neck to press its wet, questing tip into the cup of her ear. "God…what a _fox_…. Now I remember why I wanted you so badly the other night…."

He felt a ripple of pleasure as he saw the bulb flare up above her head. "You…you're the ones…the ones who…?"

"Bingo, little birdie…" he replied grinning like a shark, "you might've fluttered out of my paws the last time…but now I'm wise to you…and this time we're not leaving till I've had me fill of you…." He growled, pressing himself against her, feeling fire coarse through his body as he touched her.

"You…you sick pig!" She screamed and in a rush of anger and hatred, twisted her neck at an insane angle, whipping it around and catching him on the ear as he tried to jerk away. The Samoyed let out a yelp of surprise and for a moment his control faltered. If she managed to knock him off…she might be able to make a run for it and fast though he was, Sabbath knew he would be no match for her speed and agility, even in the state she was in, for adrenaline worked like morphine if the situation was dire enough. Before she could take the opportunity to deal him another blow, Forest was on her, smashing her across the face with a vicious paw-strike that left her ears ringing.

Then, before she'd even had time to regroup, he was on her, his killer's grin now replaced with a feral snarl of rage. "You…BITCH!" he roared, dealing her another blow, this time to the neck, knocking her over onto her side. She instinctively tried to crawl away, but he leapt on top of her, savaging her unprotected back with claw and fang. At her cry of pain, Lover-Boy started to yell, but he barely noticed, all his attention was focused on this bitch, this whore who had dared…!

"Snap at me, will you? Well, looks like we need a lesson in manners." Dark blood flew through the air, staining the snow a deep crimson. She let out a breathless cry of agony. "Lesson one: Respect your elders."

More blood. Another scream, weaker. "Lesson Two: Speak only when spoken to."

"SABBATH!"

His head jerked upward, eyes like two bright pinpricks of amber in the growing darkness. Pride was there, his stupid idiot's face inches from his own. "That's enough, you idiot. What do you want to do, kill her before we have any fun!?"

Sabbath's temper flared. "Get off my ass, boy-o; I ain't in the mood."

Forest spoke up from where he now held Kodi pinned a few feet away. "Maybe you're not, but I am – so get a hold of yourself and stop cutting her up or there won't be anything left for us after we finish with Lover-Boy here. Besides, the Bitch is right; let's hurry and get a move on…" let out a little shudder, "if anyone got wind of what we're up to, then the faster the better. Help me with him." He said, indicating Kodi with a kick to the ribs. He turned. "Sabbath…clean her up; we don't want her bleeding to death in between turns."

"All right then…." Sabbath breathed heavily, trying to slow his thundering heartrate and restrain himself from resuming his work on the now bloodied Dusty. Looking over the jagged wounds his teeth had made, he supposed this current dose of agony would have to do…for now. Later, however, was a different story, but he had work to do before his particular brand of fun came into play. He gave her a few choice licks, trying to seal the worst of his handiwork and keep her from simply bleeding out, trying not to notice how sweet the red fluid staining her fur tasted as it ran across his tongue. She didn't make any move to stop him or throw him off – probably in too much pain to do anything but lie there and pray for death to take her soon. She surprised him by finding the ability to speak, and not just words but whole sentences.

"You…you son-of-a-_bitch_…you'll pay…pay for this!" He felt a shiver of excitement run down his back. God but she was hot when she was angry!

"Keep your mouth shut, if you know what's good for you…or would you care for a more in depth episode of our time together in the alley?"

"Yeah…well, as I recall…you didn't get me…."

A single crease folded the killer's brow as he mulled over her retort, his grin shrinking to a twisted smile. "You may've gotten away from us – away from **_me_** – last time but where's your shining knight now? I don't see him running to your rescue this time…where could he be? Aren't his Hero Senses tingling?" he asked mockingly, then, when she gave no answer; "Oh, wait I think…yes, isn't that him? He's the big stupid redhead who just got his ass handed to him by Pride right?" His grin flashed out once more as she began to cry silently, tears sliding down her now dirty cheeks to freeze in the frigid air. "That's right, baby, get it all out now…

"You'll pay…."

A full-throated laugh escaped him, his eyes shining with amusement. "Oh, will I? Just who exactly am I supposed to be afraid of? Lover-Boy's big-to-do, Mr. Town Hero father or maybe that big bad Papa of yours or– "

"I'd say…you've got…a reason…to be scared…all right…" she chuckled darkly, "but not just…of them. I can see…you've already met…my uncle Kavik…."

"Shut up, bitch," he growled, trying to exude menace but feeling a twinge of fear deep in his guts all the same, "I don't know who the hell you're t–"

She actually laughed a little at that. ""No? How'd you…get that bump on your head then…I wonder? Run…into a door?" she paused as if considering. "I thought not…."

Enough was enough.

Sabbath had allowed her this little speech simply for his own amusement…well, maybe that was a lie, but who cared? So what if what she was saying put a little fear into him? What was the harm in that? She was allowed her last little rant, he supposed, but it was time to remind her who was in charge here…and there was only one way he knew how to do that. A good dose of pain did the trick every time. So, before his talkative gray tramp could finish, he lifted a paw and raked his claws viciously down her back, relishing the high, almost musical note in her breathless shriek of agony as he only deepened old wounds he himself had inflicted only moments before.

"Daddy's Little Girly-Girl didn't like _that_ now, did she?" He grinned, sinking the yellow razors embedded in end of his paw deeper into the wound, making her give another of those breathless screams as her aching muscles bellowed in protest. "Oh, you think _that's_ bad, princess? That's _nothing_. Just wait till the fun _really_ starts…you'll soon be all mine, my pretty little peach…oh, what a good time we'll have together…." Overcome with lust, the Samoyed ran out his tongue and swabbed the fur of his captive's cheek. Dusty, her energy drained, was unable to anything but give her head a feeble jerk, her stomach clenching as her nose was assaulted by the smaller but more powerful dog's foul breath. "Just you wait, darling," he promised her, "I'm gonna use you till you're raw and then, oh, then I'll really get to work on you…"

He grinned once more as he saw the tears beginning to pour from her terrified eyes, and she started to sob silently….

((()-()))

He hadn't been caught completely off guard, there was that much to be thankful for at least. It wasn't much, but still, the brief battle cry he'd had time to send up might still have gotten to someone. It was all he had to hope for in any case, that and the fact that their brief scuffle had bought them a little time at least. Not much, but again, every little bit helps…and God help him but he had a feeling they were going to need all the help they could get. Kodi craned his neck around so as to fix his gaze with that of his lover's. His heart seemed to burst as he looked at her wide, eyes and listened to her shaky voice as she conversed with the creamy Samoyed – Sabbath, his name was Sabbath – pinning her to the ground. He watched in horror and felt a snarl of rage bubbling in his throat as the dirty mutt licked her cheek and whispered promises of violation in her ear. How dare he, how dare he! Kodi would've sprung to her aid

Sabbath looked up, eyeing the trapped Kodi with distain, his face twisted in disgust. "Shut him up for me, would you Pride?" he asked the bulky Husky mutt nonchalantly, a suicidal gleam in his murder's eyes.

The big dog nodded, his own grin surfacing. Kodi cried out as all coherent thought was swallowed up in an explosion of pain as Pride sank his teeth into his captive's unprotected right shoulder, burying them all the way up to the gum line. Kodi cried out as the brute finally ripped free of him, leaving a ragged hole from which the blood was still flowing. He felt a tiny spark of shame as, unable to find any other way to express the depth of his agony, he tipped his head back and howled, baying his lamentations up at a sky now stained purple in the last rays of twilight. His captors didn't seem to take too kindly to this potentially revealing vocalization and quickly silenced him with a blow to the muzzle, hitting him hard enough to make the exhausted sled dog feel as though his brains had been not just scrambled but blown completely out of his skull and onto the already bloody snow.

He was currently sprawled on his stomach like Dusty, one of Pride's massive forepaws pressing down none-too-gently against back of the younger dog's neck, with another two weighing down his furiously working body. Unlike his lover, his struggles had yet to cease or even slow, much to the dismay of the three conspirators, though they tried not to show it. Kodi snarled in frustration as Sabbath looked on, amused by his increasingly desperate attempts to wriggle out of Pride's grasp, his eyes burning with hatred. Kodi starred not at Sabbath, but at Forest, who, for a wonder, was sitting off to the side, his vulnerable throat just two or three inches from Kodi's furiously snapping fangs. A deep growl rumbled up from his chest as he starred at the dog responsible for the savage beating and near rape of his mate, calling down curse after curse to strike the head of the villainous canine.

Forest, meanwhile, continued to look docilely onward, a smug, satisfied smile spreading across his ugly face. "Now, now, now, Lover-Boy, such language! What would your mother say if she caught you saying things like that?" Their laughter only fueled his already monumental anger.

"She'd tell me to – " here Kodi went on to describe a particularly unpleasant method of execution that ranged from disembowelment to castration " – off, that's what!" he roared, trying and failing once more to extricate himself from Pride's death-grip.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, little Kodiak," Forest said him, leveling his burning gaze at him, "Such language, my goodness! Tell me…if you could, would you really have the stones to really go through with all that, or am I right in guessing you'd puss out at the last second and just rip my throat out?"

"YOU'D DESERVE IT AFTER WHAT YOU DID TO HER, YOU SICK _FUCK_!"

A blow to the face silenced him, and Kodi let out another yelp of pain as a lacerated tongue was now added to his list of ailments. Still, he managed to spit out most of the blood, or enough so that he could speak at any rate. "…Why…?" he croaked. "Tell me…why her? Why…" he paused to spit out a gob of pink phlegm, "why…kill us?"

Forest let out a chuckle. "Well," he said, lowering his voice to that confidential tone reserved for those on their deathbed, "if you really must know, I just wanted to fuck her, that's all. I was nice, I made small talk, I even asked for her name, all the things a guy has to do to get a woman…but in the end, she proved be just too stubborn for me, so I decided to just take what I wanted, along with a little something for Pride and Sabbath" He laughed as he saw Kodi's eyes narrow in hatred. "Now, I'll bet that really pisses you off, huh Lover-Boy? The truth is, I didn't give a damn, not now and not back then either. In fact, I was gonna kill her there, right there in that alley even if she had agreed…only you showed up, and spoiled all out fun. Well, it's our turn to play with her now, friend." He paused, as if to relish the prospect. "She's beautiful, you know," he went on, tipping his snout in Dusty's direction, "you were really lucky…she would've made such a great lay…too bad you'll never get to taste her for yourself, but oh well; as they say, such is life."

"You…bastard." Kodi coughed.

"Now, now Kodi, is that how you want your slut of a girlfriend to remember you while we're at it? A foul-mouthed, disrespectful little puissant who didn't know when to keep his big, stupid mouth shut?" He grinned. "Clean up that mouth of yours…and I just might let you watch. How would that be, hmm?"

"Go to Hell."

Forest sighed in mock exasperation. "I should've expected that kind of response from the likes of you. After all, what would the others think if they ever found out that you let some other guy get with your woman just to gain a few extra minutes?" He shook his head. "Why am I even wasting my time talking to you? Pride?"

The dog in question looked up, eyes alight. Expectant.

"Get down to business, would you? I'm getting bored with all this talking…."

The big dog grinned wickedly. He bent, spared Kodi a single sideways glance, then seized the russet canine's right foreleg in his powerful jaws and gave his head a vicious twist. Kodi couldn't even scream; the pain was so great. He just lay there, his body going through spasms as he listened to the sound of his bones first bending, then rubbing together and finally splintering with a sound like a snapping tree branch in a high wind. Tears welled in his eyes and spilled down his cheeks. It was amazing that he was still conscious…god, it hurt, worse than anything he'd ever felt before.

Though he wouldn't be able to say with any certainly just what exactly went on in those next few moments before the calvarly finally arrived, he would never forget the horrible nonsense rhyme Pride had recited as he'd systematically broken first one foreleg and then the other.

"This little piggy had roast beef…this little piggy had none….this little piggy went to the market…." On and on and on….

It was enough to drive you mad.

((()-()))

**Author's Note**

Hmm…ah, haha…well, I uh…oh God I'm a dead man, aren't I? Sorry guys but…well, it looks like we have one more to go! Again, I'm so sorry for the cliffhanger, but this chapter was already so long as it was (10 whole pages) and there's so much more I want to do with the scene between Kavik and Balto and the rest of the team and Forest and his gang. A lot of possibilities have been going through my head, and I'm hard and work trying to decide which way to kill them…slow torture or quick but unnecessarily brutal? (Any input you could give me on execution methods you'd like to see would be welcome) Oh, and just a little something to keep you from crucifying me: those wolves Forest kept worrying about? Let's just say they have…ah…special interests in the present situation. (semi-graphic violence alert: shield your eyes, young ones!) Bottom line: while this chapter was slightly darker than those that preceded it…the next one will be a violent, violent, violent climactic clash of fur and fangs! (plus, I know a lot of you have been sending me reviews that practically scream KAVIK OWNS and KILL FOREST so don't worry I'll give Kavik his moment and Forest…well…he'll get his due…I just want to make it as dramatically twisted as I'm permitted to on this site!

Thanks so much to all my loving fans for continuing to stick with such a horrible liar like me for so long! My best wishes and all my love to you! Your support is the only thing that keeps me going sometimes, well, that and Jesus, but He's always got my back (cause He's the Man) but I couldn't ask for better reinforcements! You truly have no idea how much you all inspire me!

I love you all from the bottom of my heart,

BaltoLuver63


	14. Chapter 14: The Counterattack

_**Chapter 14  
**_**_The Counterattack_**

Kavik snorted, pushing himself to the limit. Though he wasn't as spry as he'd once been, he was still one of the fastest among his kind and held the rapid pace he'd set with ease. Balto ran beside him, his great furry head lowered, eyes narrowed in concentration while behind him, Kirby Ralph and Nova struggled to keep up. He risked a glance over his shoulder to check up on the three sled dogs tagging along in his wake and was dismayed to see they were in danger of falling behind. He somehow managed to bite back the stream of curses that wanted to come spewing from his mouth, expressing his frustration in a low growl that rumbled up from the depths of his chest.

He found himself wondering why they weren't making more of an effort, before the all-too-obvious answer came to him, making him feel stupid and old. Anxious though he was to save the two trapped lovers, he had to remember that the three canines plodding along behind he and Balto had just completed what was supposed to be a five-day run in only three day's time and had only gotten back to Nome a little over seven or eight hours ago; hardly enough time to recuperate and be ready for something like this. It was really a wonder they were managing to move this fast at all.

Knowing he had no alternative didn't keep him from hating himself as he resolutely forced himself to slow the pace. The great wolf/dog beside him followed suit, though he shot his snowy brother a mixed look of anger and frustration. He could read it easily enough; '_What's wrong with you!? We can't afford to slow down! My son and his mate are counting on us!_'

Kavik replied with a curt nod followed by an almost imperceptible jerk of the head, indicating the three sled dogs behind them, their breathe coming in ragged gasps that he didn't care for. '_I know, I know, but we have to otherwise those three will burn themselves out before we even get there._' He tipped his snout forward, indicating the area ahead from where the orgy of scent was spewing. '_Besides, strong as we are, there's no way the two of us could hope to take down Forest and his cronies while they've still got a hold of Kodi and Dusty._' Bottom line; like it or not, they'd simply have to suck it up and pray to God that they'd be able to get there in time, because if they kept it up, Kirby, Ralph and Nova would be too tired to last long in what promised to be a no-doubt bloody affair.

Their actions did not go unnoticed however. Ralph spoke up, sounding indignant. "Hey! What gives!? Why the hell…are we…slowing down…?"

"Because I want you three…to be ready for whatever we'll have to do." Kavik replied, speaking a little easier now that he had more air to spare for chitchat.

"We're wasting time!" Ralph retorted, his tongue lolling from the side of his mouth, "If we don't hurry…they'll – "

"Do what he says!" Nova interrupted, voice lashing out like a double-edged sword of rage and worry – rage over what the three mongrels ahead of them had nearly done to his sister and worry over whether or not they'd make it in time. "I'm not…gonna let…that fleabag Forest…kill Kodi or my sister…because you two were too stupid…to listen to reason!"

That ended the debate. Kirby and Ralph each slowed their pace, dropping back behind Kavik and Balto once more, identical masks of primal fury on their faces – though whether it was from the tongue-lashing given them by their furious comrade or his being right about their foolishness wasn't clear. Truth be known, Kavik really didn't care if they spurned him for the rest their lives after this rotten business was over and done with; all he cared about was their being able to save his niece and nephew without having to worry about whether or not they were up to the challenge.

A sudden gust of wind blew in from the east, carrying with it a scent that made Kavik literally freeze in his tracks, his head whipping to the right, body tensing. He barely noticed how he'd nearly caused what would've been a very painful collision between himself and Nova, who was somehow able to avoid the snowy lupine at the last minute only to have a near miss with an ancient oak. He stood there, heart hammering in his chest, his mind screaming for him to move as his nose was assaulted by the reek of blood emanating from a clearing not half-a-mile in front of them…yet it also brought with it another scent, one that was now slowly but surely closing in on them from all sides. He cursed himself for a fool for allowing himself to forget where he was…to forget who owned this snowy wood.

If tempers had been on the brink before, whatever dams held them in place crumbled like sand before a tsunami at this latest display of what seemed to be pure insanity on Kavik's part – at least in the eyes of one opinionated young canine.

Kirby turned, eyes burning, livid. "_WHAT ARE YOU __**DOING**_" he roared, spit flying from his muzzle in long, foamy ropes as he glared angrily up at the larger wolf. "Do you _want_ them to get killed!?! Is that it, huh!?! Are you in cahoots with that dirty, disgusting piece of sh – "

"_Kirby_," Kavik cut in, chopping off the rest of what would've been a very lengthy rant with surgical precision, "do yourself a favor; Shut up. _Now_."

This only seemed to further infuriate the headstrong Husky, and he seemed not to have noticed the way Kavik was looking everywhere but towards the sound of his voice. "Why I ought to – "

"Back off!" Balto interjected, the words coming out from between clenched teeth in a snarl, and angry and confused though he was, the younger dog had enough sense to follow the hybrid's advice, snapping his mouth shut. Balto took a deep, shuddering breath, trying unsuccessfully to calm himself before turning to his brother. "Kavik, whatever it is, please hurry! They're hurt, both of them, and badly! I can smell their bl – "

"I'll tell you what I smell," his white sibling interrupted, speaking with a terrible enforced calm that sent a shiver running up all their spines, least of all Balto's. "I smell wolf, and lots of it…and they've got us surrounded."

Dead silence greeted this.

Kavik moved quickly taking a step forward, head held high, his voice hardening as a note of authority rumbled up from his throat as he addressed the medium-sized pack surrounding the five of them. "That's close enough, all of you!" his nose picked up a sudden spike in the pack's collective aroma. Good…he had their attention. "If we've trespassed against you or offended you in some way, then I apologize, but two of our kin may or may not meet their demise in these very woods a few moments from now!" He paused to let the weight of this message sink in. "Whether they live or die could very well depend on how long you choose to keep us detained, so I urge you to reveal yourselves and let us see each other face to face so we can resolve this in a way that satisfies us all and be on our way!" This plea complete, he stepped back, forcing himself to remain calm while he waited for their verdict.

((()-()))

Dusty tried to scream, but her throat refused to work – either she'd damaged her vocal cords too badly in such a short time or more likely, she was simply too tired to muster the energy she needed. She was exhausted; her body was heavy with it, her sides like iron, her legs lead. She watched helplessly as the brute called Pride moved toward Kodi while Forest held him down. She started to whine, a sudden darkness touching her heart. Did she know what was coming? You'd better believe it…but that didn't make what came next any easier to bear.

He wouldn't stop…no matter how much she cried for her beloved, they still refused to leave him. Her heart seemed to shatter as the high, dry crack of what sounded like a tree branch snapping in a high wind registered in her ears. Tears streamed down her face and she wept. Not just for him, but for herself as well – for being so useless, so weak that she could do nothing but lie here helpless to do anything but watch as they tortured him. "Kodi!…Oh God, Kodi, no…no, no, no, no!"

The beast standing over the bloodied russet Husky paid no heed, merely stood back to admire his handiwork and to allow Forest a few snide remarks before seizing Kodi's other foreleg in his jaws. There came another of those high, explosive cracks, followed by another breathless scream of agony that tore at her heart like an ice pick. Kodi's forelegs lay limp to either side of his head, the bones beneath his furry flesh twisted grotesquely. His breathing became ragged, labored as he struggled to say conscious, his face ashen.

"Awww…does it hurt, _Lover-Boy_?" Forest asking, his mocking high soprano making the other two laugh wickedly. Forest turned his attention to Sabbath, a grin splitting his ugly face. "Sabbath…what do you say? Feel up for a little…action?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows up and down.

What little color she had left drained from her face as she heard the smaller dog's reply. "Finally…I was afraid we'd never get around to this." She shuddered, feeling him press his nose against her as he savored her scent once more, helpless not to let out a sob as ran out his tongue and sloppily licked her cheek, his saliva soaking her fur, his breath foul beyond imagination. "Get ready honey…Uncle Sabbath's gonna break you in, make you a big girl…." A chuckle. "Aww, don't cry, my peach," he cooed, for he'd seen the tears that had begun to coarse down her face. "I promise I'll be gentle…or not, depending on how much you scream…."

((()-()))

Nova stood, ears pricked, eyes moving ceaselessly, trying to keep an eye on every furry body at once. For all the good it was doing him, the Husky might as well have tried to count the snowflakes that were now beginning to dance and spin as they tumbled through the frosty air. He knew it was futile, but still, he couldn't help it – it was in his blood, after all.

The wolves were larger than he was, their pelts more matted, with teeth a good deal more wicked looking. While some didn't look as though they were as well fed as he and the others were lucky enough to be, he had no delusions as to who would win in a fight. Thin and under-nourished though they might've been, but one look into their wild eyes told him all he needed to know. It was their eyes that most unnerved him, really – all the things he saw burning in their yellow orbs. Where he was accustomed to gentle browns and soft blues, here was harsh gold and flat, dull amber. They looked at him with eyes that spoke of the hunt, of the thrill of running down game in the wood, the primal surge of triumph as the stench of blood flooded their nostrils as they brought down a deer after hours, sometimes days of hunting. These creatures were hardened warriors who had survived without a comfy stove to keep them warm on frigid nights, and they were a force to be reckoned with…. If you were an enemy, that was, and he for one was heartily relieved when that fear was laid to rest soon after Kavik's booming address to the pack, who had turned out to be one both Balto and Kavik knew quite well. The wolves recognized them as friends in need and had come striding into the fading light with their claws sheathed.

First, he tried to keep count how many their were…but soon gave up on this; they were creatures of the wood and knew secrets he could only dream of. Such knowledge allowed them to become one with the shadows with an ease that was more than a little unsettling to behold. Every time he thought he had an accurate headcount, he would look away only for an instant…only to be greeted with the sight of two or three more wolves where only one had stood a moment before. It was to keep him off-guard, he knew…and to keep them from knowing just how many they were.

He soon gave up on keeping tabs on them and instead focused his gaze on the one Kavik had hailed as Ash, who, it seemed, was an old friend of his, judging by the warm greeting he gave them. Soon after the larger white hybrid had delivered his speech, the pack had come forward, Ash bounding to the forefront, his tail wagging happily at the sight of his former packmate of old. Kavik had returned his feelings, albeit for the briefest of moments, before addressing a wolf named Jeremiah, who was apparently the Alpha of the assembled pack. Here, fortune smiled upon them once more, for it turned out that the mahogany wolf knew not only Kavik, but Balto as well. Together, the group was able to quickly make clear their reasons for trespassing…and to ask for one other favor that was of particular interest to the small rescue party…one that would give them a distinct advantage on the battlefield to come….

((()-()))

"…You understand?" Balto asked, his tail twitching the slightest bit, belaying his desire to be off with all speed as soon as time allowed.

Jeremiah nodded, his eyes bright. "Aye, if it comes to that…count on us."

Ash gave his own affirmative, a thin smile spreading over his scarred face as his yellow eyes glinted in the semidarkness. "…We'll have your backs if the bastards turn yellow and run…." His smile disappeared. "But forget that – you must go, now."

Kavik nodded and he and Balto moved off, the three sled dogs falling in step behind them as they began once more to head towards their waiting friends. The light had all but faded completely and snowflakes were beginning to drift slowly downwards as winter made a desperate attempt to cling to the world. The yellow-eyed crossbreed blew out a breath and shook himself, trying to shake the tension from his limbs. His heart was already pounding, and they'd yet to even within 400 meters of their destination. If this kept up, he'd be a wreck by the time for action came…and he'd throw himself from a cliff before allowing himself to become the reason that their plan – already risky to begin with – might fail.

Feeling his brother's gaze, he said, "Don't worry…I'm fine." Which was a complete lie; he was certainly nowhere near 'fine' – in fact, he was about a hair's breadth from a heart attack, or so he felt. But, his Kodi and his mate needed him to be fine, needed him to keep a cool head, so he forced his heart to slow to a more reasonable pace.

Kavik's eyes sparked slightly – just enough to tell the hybrid he could see right through his flimsy façade – before he nodded and returned his gaze to the fast-approaching meadow before them. From the lupine's right came Kirby's anxious half whimper. "…Please, someone tell me we've got some sort of plan…?" The three looked instinctively to he and Kavik but Balto left most of it to the snowy juggernaut. True, he had had his share of skirmishes before, but they were as nothing when compared to Kavik's life in the wild, which made the scuffle he'd gotten into with Steele so long ago look like nothing more that puppy play.

Balto heard him suck in a breath and then let it out speaking in low, slightly earnest tones. "All right…. Listen up, all of you, because I don't want to have to repeat myself…and we all know just how much is at stake here." Ears perked a little higher and eyes brighten as they all turned their collective attention on him, listening as he laid it all out on the table. It seemed a simple enough maneuver…but Balto was wise enough to know that what Kavik was proposing would require precise execution from all of them.

Kavik finished and Balto, recognizing his unspoken duty, continued one where the other had left off. "…Okay…here's how we're gonna do it…." He looked to the end of their little line. "Kirby, Ralph – you to take Pride while I handle Sabbath and Nova and Kavik take care of For–"

Kavik shook his head, cutting him off. "No – that'll never work." He turned to Balto, speaking quickly, all business. "They're exhausted, Balto. Maybe if they were fresh it could be done, but Pride won't fall as easily against two as he will with three." He turned to Nova. "Go with Kirby and Ralph – they need you more than I do."

The golden Husky bit his lip, looking a little uncomfortable with leaving the elder hybrids to fend for themselves. "But…that would mean–"

"Nova, please," Balto said, and the fevered light the golden Husky saw burning in his eyes ended whatever argument he might or might not have been about to make, "I can handle Sabbath…I'll be fine." He tried for a smile, but it felt forced and ugly on his face so he put it aside.

"All right…" A beat. "…What about Forest?"

"Leave him." All eyes turned to once again lock on the formidable white-furred crusader as he spoke, his voice as flat and soulless as steel, a fiery and somehow chilling desire in his eyes. From within his muscled chest there came a low rumbling and for an instant, the fire became an inferno as he bared his teeth in a brief snarl. "He's MINE."

A few blessed seconds, of considering silence, then Ralph spoke up. "…Will this really work?" He didn't sound disbelieving so much as he seemed to be searching for a bit of balm for the worry worm trying to eat its way into his heart.

"Yes." Not a moment's hesitation.

"How can you say that?" Kirby burst out suddenly, his voice slightly scratchy with anxiety and the aftereffects of that week's run. "How can you be so damn sure?"

Kavik smiled and looking at it, Balto was glad it wasn't aimed at him. "If we're to save them, then it must." He said with an air of finality, his tone once more brisk, "For I see no other way."

There wasn't much left to say after that. Words were only good for so long…and Forest and his friends had passed the point of no return long ago. There was no recourse for their actions – had Kavik not given them fair warning? Balto knew he had – and then some. So if anyone was responsible for what came next, be it for better or worse, it was the three bloodletting monsters that had dared to lay paws on his son and his mate.

Telling himself this made it a little easier to accept what he had to do. He was no killer – none of them were, at least not in the way their quarry was – but he understood that there were times when even an angel must exchange harp and halo for flame and sword.

((()-()))

Kirby was nervous.

…. Okay, so maybe that was a load of moose crap, but he was pretty far from the calm, cool and levelheaded leader he'd always been, that was for damn sure. Heart pounding, he gulped and tried to will away the lump in his throat. This was no time to get choked up, no sir! His friends were counting on him, trusting him to save their very lives, and he wouldn't allow himself to be the one who sent this whole situation spinning off into chaos.

"…Damn it…." He growled, almost too low for even his own ears.

From his left he could feel the weight of Ralph's concerned glance and he did his best to suck it up empty his mind. Eyes narrowing, he focused all his attention on the grass beneath his paws, forcing himself to analyze every detail, knowing it would keep him sharp and on edge, right were he needed to be, in other words. The feel of it was dry, the smell tangy and sharp – it was Spring all right – yet underneath it, he could feel the mud and muck squishing between his toes. Something about it's cold, clutching caress calmed him somewhat, though if pressed, he wouldn't have been able to say why, only that it did.

From five feet to his right, he saw Kavik's great almost bearish form sink low to the ground, his belly lowering until he looked to almost be slithering through the foul mess. Kirby and the others followed suit, but none of them could slink and stalk like that great predator. He moved like the wolf he truly was, and never mind the quarter of canine in his blood; that was gone, cast out for now. The wolf/dog's eyes were flashing like twin embers and all the usual warmth and kindness they were accustomed to were nowhere to be seen. Kirby understood that such a dramatic change in character was necessary – for if there was one among them who could not be bested in true combat, it was Kavik, of this he had no doubt – but still…that look was a little creepy.

A dull, wet crunching sound cut through the murmured sniggers and jeers emanating from the clearing, followed by a hoarse cry of utter agony that made Kirby's stomach turn. Perhaps thirty seconds passed. More sniggering, now downright laughing, and all the while he could hear a low, piteous sob that was Dusty. Dusty, crying as though her heart would break as they forced her to watch as they tortured her only love. Dusty, who had never so much as gossiped or bad-mouthed even the lowest of curs, brought low by this…this pack of demons. Another of those sickening reports rang out, and the tan Husky realized what he was hearing a spit-second later.

His legs…they were breaking Kodi's legs.

As if to confirm it, the tortured dog cried out again, sounding weaker this time. Next to Kavik, Kirby saw Balto's entire body tense, the corded muscles coiling beneath his fur. Looking at him, Kirby finally realized that he himself had been preparing to spring – his exhausted muscles were bulging, pulled taut in readiness for the eventual leap to come. His heart pounding away like a drum in his chest, his whole body nearly shaking with anticipation as well as fear now, Kirby tried vainly to relax, but it was like trying to eat what the humans called 'pee-nut butt-er' without getting the stuff stuck to the roof of your mouth; impossible.

'_Why in God's name are we just sitting here?!?_' He thought frantically. His heart rate nearly doubling, he cast a furious look at Kavik…but he was just sitting there, coiled like a snake who's forgotten how to strike. He wrenched his gaze away, looking toward the clearing where two of his best friends were being subjected to God-alone knew what. '_Why don't we DO something!? Kodi's dying and Dusty might be too and we're just fu–_ '

"…Steady…" Kavik's voice carried in a mutter so low Kirby almost thought it had been only the wind…yet it held a note of command that hadn't been there before – not even when he'd addressed the combined forces of the two great wolf packs. Somewhat incredulous, the tan Husky turned his gaze back to the regard their pale leader…and saw he wasn't the one Kavik had been talking to.

It was Balto…. And it was a good thing too, because from the looks of it, the older crossbreed was even more enraged and horrified at what he could hear going on in front of them than Kirby was. The wolf/dog shivered, seemed on the verge of propelling himself forward again, but Kavik's low, deadly quite growl stopped him.

((()-()))

Kavik watched his brother's face cramp in rage and fury as the cries of his tortured son reached his hypersensitive ears. Knowing what his instincts would cry out for him to do, the other called out to him, telling him to stay put. It wouldn't bode well for any of them if all fell to ruin simply because of bad timing…and Kavik knew Balto would never forgive himself if something were to happen to either Kodi or Dusty because of it. Looking at him, the towering warrior could see the desperation and the pity burning in his eyes…and knowing he was not alone in this made things a little easier to bear. Not much…but it was still something. He tipped his head, speaking directly into the other's cocked ear.

"…Do you love them?"

A shakily drawn breath followed by an even shakier exhalation. "…You know I do…."

"…Then trust me."

An affirmative twitch of the head that was almost imperceptible.

Kavik focused his attention of the field again, his paws flexing, claws sheathing and unsheathing, digging miniature furrows in the muddy ground. Balto might hold for a few seconds more, but he knew he was a different story. If he didn't give the sign soon…there was no telling what his barely contained wolfish bloodlust would drive him to do once the dam of his willpower had broken. An eon seemed to pass in those next few seconds…then, incredibly…he suddenly heard Pride let loose a bellow of pain in the clearing in front of them, then a snarling curse from Forest…and it happened. The dam broke…and when he rushed forward, mud and grass and water flying from his furry hide, the others were only too eager to follow.

It was time to teach these monsters what happened when they touched his family…once and for all.


	15. Chapter 15: The Reckoning

_**Chapter 15  
**__**The Reckoning**_

Pain.

For a few hellish seconds, it was all his delirious brain could register. The craziest part of it was that there really were no words to describe it, none that he knew of anyway. Kodi lay in the slowly reddening snow, barely conscious, his vision swimming in and out of focus like a badly put together camera…and the colors…they kept changed. First gray, now black, then full color, then back to gray and now…color, finally. He blinked. It took an effort. He stared up at the leering faces of his torturers, seeing past them to lock eyes with his beloved, thinking; '_you monsters, oh you sick monsters, what've you done to her!? What've you done?!?_'…Because all he could make out with his spotty vision was a dog-shaped purple blotch that wouldn't stay constant.

In actuality, it really was something of a miracle he was even conscious at all – with both his legs broken on top of all they'd subjected him to before now, he should've fallen prisoner to shock at least ten minutes ago. But, as his team would've attested to, he was not lead dog for nothing…and he and pain were more than casual acquaintances. He lay in the now bloody snow and tried to remember a moment when he'd felt this horrible and couldn't. The closest he could come to comparison had happened many years ago, back when he had first decided he'd wanted to join the mail team. He'd been training of course – how could he expect to have a chance of making it into the ranks of Nome's most respected circle of canines without some kind of one-up on the competition – and he'd pushed himself too far, too fast, pulling muscles in both his back legs (and, he suspected, one in his back as well.) This was like that, only about a thousand…no, make that a billion times worse.

And he was tired…so very tired. He could feel the pull of unconsciousness, sensed in some instinctive way that it would be the best, the only way to escape this agony, this Hell that had been thrust upon him…but he wouldn't. Not quite yet anyway, for something else, some minute strain of wolfish blood that had never affected him before took hold now, urging him to fight it, to look for some opening…because there would be one. All he had to do was wait…and watch….

So he waited, his legs and head throbbing in pain…and suddenly, Pride's paw was before him. Right there, not half an inch from his twitching nose. It was what he had been waiting so diligently for…something too good to pass up. It wouldn't pay for a tenth nor even a hundredth of what these mongrels had done to him or his mate…but it was all he could do. So, with his last bit of strength, Kodi lifted his head, opened his mouth and sank his razor sharp teeth into Pride's left hind-paw, a taste like copper flooding his mouth an nose. The mutt let loose a cry of agony that was, under the circumstances, like music to Kodi's swollen ears…but there was one thing missing and, what do you know – it seemed he had a little more energy left than he thought, enough at least to give his head a vicious twist, listening to the crunch of bone with a sort of savage primal joy before Forest delivered one last blow to his head and he fell into a deep and dreamless sleep…. But not before he heard someone – sounded like his father – calling his name…..

((()-()))

Of the three of them, Sabbath was the only one who could've claimed to have really had time to react to what happened. It had just happened to darn fast…but then again, that was the way things of this nature always did; quick and never clean.

He hovered over Dusty, listening with glee to her sobs of desperation, savoring the moment when he would turn those sobs into shrieks. He licked his lips, sucking back a long ropey strand of drool and prepared himself…when the wind abruptly shifted. It wasn't much, just the barest change in degree…but it was enough and suddenly he could smell them, smell him – the one called Kavik, the huge monster whose battle prowess had given them reason to tremble like pups in the snow before him. Swearing he turned, meaning to warn the other two of the impending ambush…but before he could get so much as a single word out, Lover-Boy had broken Pride's paw in what looked to be three or four places and the brute's almost womanish shriek of agony drowned out whatever he intended to say.

Another roar, this one much louder, exploded from directly behind and slightly above him. Thought was out of the question; he merely reacted, half-turning and half-rolling out from under the huge snarling white thing that came rocketing out of the grass. He had a split-second's vision of a vast furry body, a huge mouth bristling with fangs easily an inch and a half long as Kavik landed in the center of the clearing and barreled forward, striking Forest squarely in the chest with his massive head, bowling him over.

Growling curse after curse, Sabbath turned, springing for Dusty, planning to at least finish off his work. If he couldn't have her, then at least he'd get what satisfaction he could from her death! He raised a deadly paw…and from the corner of his eye, saw a flicker of movement from the still swaying grass. Again, only the Samoyed's lightening quick reflexes saved him as Lover-Boy's father, Mr. Town Hero came bounding into the clearing with a snarl of built up rage, his jaws closing with an audible snap over the air where Sabbath's left foreleg had been only a moment before. Furious at being denied even his simplest pleasure, he flitted backwards, out of the way of Balto's furiously snapping jaws, his own lips writhing back to expose his smaller, but much sharper teeth.

Stooping low to the ground, they circled each other, Dusty between them, hackles raised, bristling with anger, each waiting for the other to make the first mistake and pay for it with his life. Finally, Balto sprang, intending to bowl the slightly smaller dog over and go for his soft underbelly, but Sabbath was crafty. Quickly, he moved to put Dusty's broken form between them, forcing the other to pull up for fear of further injuring her. It wasn't much of an opening, but it was all Sabbath needed. Launching himself forward, he struck out, lashing the other's mud-spattered face with his paw, leaving bloody furrows on his enemy's muzzle. Balto stumbled backward and Sabbath, knowing he had to keep the upper hand if he was to have even a chance of survival against him, pushed his advance, making as if to seize Balto's foreleg and then striking his side with full force, knocking him over. Grinning fiendishly, the Samoyed leapt, jaws agape, only to have Balto deliver a stunning kick to his exposed chest with one abnormally large paw.

Stunned, the wind temporarily knocked from his lungs, Sabbath fixed him with a burning look from his honey-colored eyes. The wolf/dog was on him like a beast as the two of them rose, circled, then came together over Dusty's prone form, both of them rising up on their hind legs. Fangs flashed and claws scarred as the two combatants flailed at one another, Balto's advantage of greater weight hampered by the fact that he didn't wish to fall forward and risk further injuring Dusty. Desperate, knowing he could not last much longer in such a fight, Sabbath looked for any opening, but there was none to be seen. His foe was all teeth and claws and bone, refusing to expose his throat to him. With a mighty heave, Balto struck, his claws gouging the other's face, laying it open to the bone. Blinded by the sudden loss of his right eye, Sabbath let out a scream of pain and stumbled backward…and that was when the Gray Bitch made her move.

Had he been given time to consider it, Sabbath would've said his greatest mistake throughout this whole bloody affair would've been his dealing with Dusty. He had simply not paid her enough attention, hadn't administered near enough pain to keep her docile and compliant to his whim…and now he was paying the price. Far from being incapacitated to the point of shock, the iron-willed canine fought through the haze of pain as Sabbath stumbled near her and, summoning the last of her strength as Kodi had done not five minutes before, sank her teeth into her tormentor's leg. Not having the energy to shatter the limb as Kodi had done, she settled for giving it a quick twist, distracting the Samoyed long enough for Balto to bring him down. Half-blinded, cut in a dozen places and facing a sudden explosion of pain in his leg that was impossible to ignore, the Samoyed finally felt Balto's teeth sink into his forleg, the bone snapping between his steel jaws a split second after Dusty's own counterattack hit home.

It was too much. Sabbath let out a placatory yelp as his adversary finally pushed him to the ground, pinning him on his back in the mud with one massive paw. Sabbath struggled weakly, his breathing ragged as he did his best to suck in what he knew to be his final breaths. He starred up at the face of the hateful enemy who had spoiled his one good aspect. Where there had once been shiny fur and golden eyes that drove women wild, there was blood and dirt, not to mention one less eye. Yet he grinned savagely, in spite of the pain raging through his system. He had to say this…had to….

((()-()))

"…C…Cowards…"

It came out in little more than a whisper, but Balto heard it plainly enough, and it made him angry all over again. This…this thing that didn't even look like a dog anymore so much as something out of a nightmare had the nerve to insult him – and after what he'd done…!

Leaning down, moving his paw a bit to allow the wretch to have his last say, Balto stuck his nose close to Sabbath's, growling out from between clenched and bloodied teeth. "What was that?"

The Samoyed struggled – the words were costing him everything Balto could tell, but for the first time in a long while, he felt no pity. Only disgust. "…Bunch…of cowards….taking us…while we've got…our…our backs turned…."

Fighting to control his rising temper, the wolf/dog's eyes narrowed dangerously as he increased the pressure one Sabbath's chest. "…And what about the bunch of dogs who'd sneak up behind a defenseless female and try to violate her, huh? Who'd thrash her to within an inch of her life…only to come back and do it again?"

Sabbath's sick grin shone up at him, his remaining eye shining wetly as he let out a weakened old man's whisper of a laugh from his bloody mouth. "I….I d-did…what I h-had to…." Another of those sick laughs. "…D…do it…again…if I…had the ch-chance…."

"I'll bet you would, you bastard." Balto snarled.

Sabbath laughed into his face…and after that final blast of pain subsided and the darkness came, he embraced it with open paws, never knowing what horrors the afterlife held in store for him.

((()-()))

Nova snarled, his eyes burning from his bloodied face. Around him, Kirby and Ralph were doing their best to keep up, the three of them circling Pride continuously, ignoring their aching bodies and open, dripping wounds, determined to see this through to the end. In the middle of their small circle, Pride stood, hackles raised, looking desperate and just as tired as they were. Bleeding from half a dozen different wounds and limping around on a useless leg, the Husky mutt was still a force to be reckoned with, even with all three canines doing their best to bring him down. Lips writhing back from his once-white teeth, Nova faked a right, then a left, before charging his foe directly.

The beast did his best to follow him, but he was at a fatal disadvantage. With only three paws left to steady himself and three attackers to contend with, it's safe to say Pride knew what would eventually happen but, like Sabbath, he just couldn't conceive of surrender. No, he was a fighter till the end, and so what? Would Nova really have preferred it any other way than this? Would Kirby or Ralph for that matter? True, they were not hardened warriors or psychopathic killers, but they knew the difference between taking a life when it was defended or doing the same to a dog who had asked for quarter. Because even if he had asked for forgiveness, even if he had given himself up the moment they appeared, it would've been no different; death was the only suitable punishment for a repeated offense such as his.

Pride intuitively knew this, and so he had chosen to stand his ground and fight and die on his feet rather than on his belly. Dodging Nova, he tried vainly to catch him under the jaw with his paw as he passed…only to have Kirby leap from behind, ripping into his unprotected back with claws as well as fangs. The brute spun, trying to throw him off, but in so doing forgot about his mangled paw. When he put his weight on, Nova saw his face seize up in a mask of pain and he knew there would never be another opportunity like the one before them. Praying Kirby could hold on and keep him distracted for just a bit longer, he turned, rushing his prey from one side while Ralph came at him from the other. The four collided in a mass of fur and teeth and claws. Kirby was nearly crushed when he lost his purchase as Ralph bowled Pride over onto his side. Nova struck like a snake, the blood pounding in his ears as he hit the monster again and again and again, but the stubborn sonuvagun just wouldn't expose himself.

Desperation fueled a fire in Pride's raging body and he kicked out, landing a blow to Ralph's face with his one working back leg more out of mere luck rather than skill. This dealt with, Nova jumped back as the Husky turned, snapping at him with foamy jaws, trying to drive him far enough away so he could deal with Kirby, who was still attacking his back with savage fury. Finally, Nova saw him snap. Twisting his head, Pride snapped at Kirby, catching him by the ear as he tried to flit out of harm's way. The tan Husky yowled in pain, and struck back, catching Pride across the face with a paw. Then it happened – Pride finally lifted his head a bit too much and exposed his throat.

Nova needed no second beckoning; he had been waiting for this moment, more, praying for it. He rushed in, his heart pounding, fast as he legs could carry him. Pride saw him coming and released Kirby's ear in favor of blocking himself…but Kirby would have none of it. Neither, it turned out, would Ralph, as they both abruptly seized the struggling canine in their jaws, Kirby by one ear as Ralph rushed in to push him over onto his back. Pride tried to turn, but by then it was too late; Nova struck for the throat and held, his teeth locking like a vise until the larger canine went completely limp. Then and only then did he release his hold and pad away on legs that shook with each step.

He sat on his butt abruptly, his tongue lolling from his mouth like a slab of meat as he tried to catch his breath.

"You guys…okay?" They all turned. Balto was moving shakily toward them, looking a little roughed up with a few cuts, but nothing that wouldn't heal in a week or so.

Nova nodded, his lips twisting into a hopeless sort of smile. "…Yeah…I guess…." He turned to Kirby. "How's…your ear?"

Kirby did his best to grin. He looked as exhausted as Nova himself felt. A good chunck of his left ear was missing and there were two or three nasty looking claw marks on his back. "…I'll live." He said at last. Amazingly, he chuckled. "At least…this make…for a good story back in Nome."

Smiling tiredly, he turned at last to the last member of his little three-dog army. "Ralph?"

The Husky nodded. He had an ugly gouge along one flank that probably went clean to the bone, but other than that there was nothing else wrong with him, at least as far as Nova could see. "I'm…just fine," he said, still a little winded. He jerked his head to the left, indicating Pride's limp form. "…He's not."

"…N…Nova…?" The head of the dog in question whipped around, his pain forgotten at the sound of his sister's call. Summoning what dregs of strength he had left, he limped over to where Dusty lay, dropping onto his belly beside her.

"Hiya sis'…" he said, doing his best to fight back the tears that wanted to come streaming down his face as he got a good look at her. It was a good thing they'd gotten here when they had, and not a second too soon; Sabbath had shown her no mercy. Old wounds had reopened along her back and sides and her face looked puffy, as though she'd been struck repeatedly by an unforgiving paw – which Nova had no trouble conceiving. She looked up at him and he saw those blue eyes of hers, usually so bright and clear, were now dull, giving her a dazed sort of look. He licked her cheek and she smiled – a weak twitch of the lips – before looking at him as if seeing him for the first time. Her brows knitted together.

"…You're…you're hurt…" the concern he heard in that simply statement undid him and the tears that had been threatening for the last few minutes began to fall.

"I…I'm okay, honest." He lied – it would be a miracle if he was able to do more than hobble a dozen paces the next day with all that his beaten and worn-out body had been subjected to in the last 48 hours.

She actually smiled at that, as though amused. "…You big fibber." She chastised him, a little clarity returning to her now. He saw her gaze shift to either side of him as Ralph and Kirby came over to offer her what comfort they could. "…Hi guys…." She paused, seeming to force herself to speak. "…Did…did you all…come out here….just to r…rescue…lil' old me?"

They had a good chuckle or two over that before she called to him once more. "…Nova?" Now there was real concern in her voice.

"…Yes?"

She swallowed, visibly forcing herself to speak. He wanted to tell her not to, that she had a long road of recovery ahead of her, but knew it would do no good; if ever there had been a stubborn goat among his family, she was it. "Wh…Where's K-Kodi…?" she licked her lips, either from anxiety or to get her tongue used to forming words again he couldn't tell. "I…Is he…all right?" Mean of course, was he still alive.

Nova turned – it seemed to take a dreadful amount of effort and he wondered vaguely about how the seven of them would manage to get home in the shape they were in – and saw Balto lying by his Kodi's side, doing his best to clean his son's wouldn't. Every now and then, Kodi would give a grunt or a moan as his father reached some particularly nasty injury, but other than that he remained still. Probably unconscious Nova guessed, and he was the lucky; he would have quite a painful time of it in the months to follow with two broken legs.

"N-Nova?"

He turned back to her. "He's hurt, badly…but he'll pull through." He licked her cheek, trying to give life to what felt like a lie for some odd reason. "He's too stubborn to die…."

She nodded, her eyes drifting past him, then Ralph, then Kirby. She seemed to be looking for someone. "Nova…?" There it was again, that touch of worry in her voice, only slightly more urgent this time.

"Dusty…please, you shouldn't talk. You've been through a lot and your body is weak."

She nodded fractionally, but went on anyway. "Nova…wh…where's Uncle Kavik?"

He jumped slightly, having nearly forgotten about his adopted uncle in all the commotion. He turned his head this way and that…but his uncle's white furry hide was nowhere to be seen….

((()-()))

Elsewhere, deep in the woods, the moon shone down through the trees, illuminating the snow that had yet to melt under spring's warm and gentle hand. An owl hooted, a low, eerie sound that carried on a whispering wind. Twigs and branches snapped underfoot as something in a great hurry without a lot of sense rushed ever onward. Forest crashed through the undergrowth, feeling branches and twigs snapping under his paws but not caring. He had to get away – had to! That was all that mattered! He felt as though someone had set fire to his lungs and his limbs had begun to feel heavy from exertion, but he wouldn't – no, he couldn't stop, for to stop meant death because –

"…Run, little doggie. Run as fast and as hard as you can…."

Forest felt his bowels loosen dangerously and pushed onward, trying to block out the sounds of his pursuer, blindly telling himself that there was no way Kavik could catch him, just no way! He'd find a way out of this, he'd come back, come back and finish off Lover-Boy and his little girlfriend too!

With the recklessness of the damned, he scrambled over several deadfalls, repeating this lie to himself, driving his fevered muscles to greater heights. He'd been running for hours, or so it felt. Clearing the last fallen tree, he jumped down, landing in a heap in the snow six feet below. His shaky legs held for a moment, but when he tried to force himself to walk, his body refused to move, so he gave in and sank down onto his belly, greedily gobbling snow in an attempt to put out the inferno blazing in his throat. He tried to think – the wolf was injured; he'd gotten him in on the shoulder when they'd gone crashing down the hill from the meadow a little while back. He'd bleed pretty good too, must've gotten him pretty deep. The Husky personally hoped the white-furred crusader was bleeding out at that very moment.

'I got him, got him good' he thought, smiling to himself, conveniently forgetting that Kavik had scored a number of far more crippling injuries than a cut shoulder. He glanced down at himself – might as well take stock of his wounds while he could. He was dismayed to see that blood was still dripping from what remained of his tail – the wolf had practically bitten it off in at attempt to put a stop to his running and he silently promised himself that he would make him pay for such an embarrassing and cowardly attack – and from two or three other ugly-looking gouges to his flanks. His head still throbbed where Kavik had ripped the ear from it, but that was all right – he could do without it if it came to that. The albino Husky suddenly found himself wishing for his sorry excuse for a shed with its moldering pile of hay. Sure, it wasn't much, but anything would be better than lying out here in the cold sn–

That's when he heard it.

The crack of a twig, followed by the louder, crueler report of a young sapling branch giving way as the massive bear of a lupine passed. The Husky who had so boldly challenged this relentlessly stalking horror now felt himself begin to quake with fear, helpless not to. Like all those of his ilk who had come before him, Forest was, at heart, a coward, and now was no different. Part of him wanted to run, to bolt like a stag that has scented the hunter lurking near the pond, his rifle poised for a headshot. Still another part whispered to him in a high, scratchy voice made tinny with panic that he should reveal himself, give up and simply beg for forgiveness.

It would never work, of course, but what was his alternative? Stand and fight? The very idea of it was a bitter joke – he was no match for Kavik, never had been and never would be, this much at least he understood. Run then? His body decided that without much debate; he was exhausted. The only thing he could manage would be a loping cripple's hobble – thanks mostly in part to a punishing blow the beast had scored to his right flank, which was still throbbing and screaming like a bear caught in a trap. Suddenly, a third option presented itself; why not just stay where he was? The wolf had to be tired…and he wouldn't dare venture too far from town, would he? Forest thought not, and looking around…he saw that yes, if he had to…he could stay right where he was.

Without realizing it, he had fallen into a cave of some sort, formed by the root system of some long dead tree. Yes…why shouldn't he stay here? Sabbath and Pride could handle themselves without him and he would seek them out soon enough. Yes, all right, Lover-Boy and Miss Bitch would get away, there was that, but they'd broken his legs, hadn't they? Let him try to run on those after they got don healing! He sniggered, imagining Kodi stumping along like a cripple. They'd live yes, but they'd always remember him…and who was to say he couldn't leave here and come back in a few years or so? Kavik and Mr. Hero were older than he and they would be dead in a few years anyway. They wouldn't be around to protect Lover-Boy then, or Little Miss Bitch either, so–

He stopped, tongue frozen in mid-lick as he starred at the snow behind him. It was bloody…he sniffed. Fresh blood too. He felt his stomach tighten and realized a second before the wolf's voice spoke from directly in front of him that Kavik hadn't been trying to stop him when he'd bitten off his tail.

He'd wanted to give himself a bloodtrail…something so easy to follow, he could take his sweet old time, let his prey wear itself down before finally striking.

_'…Damn it…_' He thought, cursing himself for a fool, fighting back panic. '_That's it, I've got to go, tail or no tail, I've got to get out of h-_'

"…Hello Forest."

If there had ever been any doubt in the Husky's mind about there really being a special place in Hell reserved for those such as he, they were obliterated as he heard that growl sound from directly in front of him. He turned…and found himself starring up into Kavik's face and as he looked into those blazing blue eyes, he felt his bladder let go.

If he had any kind of conscious thought in that moment…it was to realize just how much bigger and stronger Kavik was…and just how much damage a creature of that size could inflict upon him, especially when his blood was up...and he was mad….

((()-()))

Kavik looked down at the bloody, squirming excuse for a dog on the ground before him and felt nothing but contempt. An hour or so ago, he would've torn this piece of filth limb from limb and spat on the remains before leaving them to the vultures with a curse. The problem was, he'd underestimated what the Husky could do when he was fighting for his life – as the bloody wound in his shoulder clearly proved. He had not let Forest get away from him by choice; he'd just had the bad luck of striking his head on a rock as they rolled down the hill from the meadow where Kodi and Dusty had lain. Another dog with a little more guts and a little less cowardice in him might've taken the opportunity to finish the job while he'd been momentarily stunned, putting him down for good and making sure he stayed that way instead of merely wounding him and leaving it at that. In the time he'd been patiently tracking him, Kavik had come to realize that Forest was nothing like the wolf Juji had been, far from it actually. Whereas Juji had been a crafty and ruthless leader, the Husky who was now begging for mercy before him was just a case of your garden-variety bully being confronted by an older and tight-fisted disciplinarian elevated to a higher level.

He'd been tracking him at a leisurely lope, knowing that all he had to do was let his quarry run rampant through the woods, hopped up on a combination of fear and adrenaline, running flat out until he exhausted whatever reservoirs of strength and stamina he might have. He had more than enough reasons to gut this monster, this backstabbing bastard, this sorry excuse for a mutt and leave to bleed it out on the snow – part of him even wanted to, very badly too – but that wasn't his way….

Now, here he was, the cause of so much pain and the object of so much hatred…Kavik sniffed delicately at the frosty, fragrant air. Yes…and, he'd wet himself on top of it all. In light of this latest show of utter cowardice, whatever vestiges of his monumental anger remained turned into a sour soup of utter disgust. Lip curling, he clouted the husky soundly across the face, sending him flying through the air and out into the night with a yowl of pain.

"…You really disappoint me, you know that?" He asked the bloody, wide-eyed, wanna-be rapist as he advanced with calm deliberation, the snow crunching almost hungrily under his paws. "I mean, I was expecting a little more from the likes of you."

He watched with cold satisfaction as Forest struggled to his paws, his temper rising to overtake his fear of the approaching lupine. Lips writhing back from his teeth in a predatory snarl of hatred, the Husky stalked forward, his wounds apparently forgotten. "…Hard to judge someone's worth…when you sneak up on them like a filthy wolf." He spat.

Kavik's eyes blazed and he moved closer, the two of them moving in a slow circle now, each trying to level the other with his eyes. "Big talk" he snarled, "coming from a dog who has to use two lunkheads just to get the drop on one big, bad female." He retorted.

"I'd like to hear you say that when I've got you by the throat."

"…Come and get me then, if you can." Kavik retorted. Forest hesitated for only a fraction of a second, then charged forward recklessly, hoping to overpower him with sheer brutality. It was a stupid move, perhaps the oldest and stupidest of them all, but then again, Forest was in dire straights…and at least he wouldn't feel so bad about putting him down. Forest was big for a Husky, true, but he was tired, bleeding and had been on the move at high speed for the last hour or so, while Kavik's wound had already begun to scab over and he'd had plenty of time to breath the fire out of his lungs to afford himself a cool head in battle.

He stood motionless in the snow, poised to strike, formulating his plan of attack while waiting for Forest's lumbering charge to bring him within striking distance. Sidestepping his adversary at the last minute, he turned, striking with lethal accuracy, his razor fangs ripping into the soft mane of fur at the other's left shoulder. The Husky's momentum carried him forward for a few more paces before he went down, his right foreleg abruptly crumbling before Kavik was on him, hacking and slashing with tooth and claw, laying him open in a dozen different places, all the while raging at him at the top of his voice, his furious tirade drowning the other's pathetic pleas for mercy.

"Like that, huh? No, too BAD!" He smashed his head into Forest's side, hearing a rib crack before the other flew through the air to land in a heap a few feet away with a yelp. Kavik could hear the ragged breathing of his enemy, and even as he watched, Forest tried to stand, tried to flee, but all he could manage was a few steps. Kavik wasn't about to let him off so easy – he'd had enough of toying with this mutt and this business, which had been unpleasant to begin with, was leaving him with a bad taste in his mouth. He closed in, hard and fast, dealing another blow. More blood soaked the snow.

"…Please…"

At this, Kavik nearly broke. "…How dare you…" he breathed, his hackles rising, jaws locking together in a snarl of fury as his eyes blazed. "_How **DARE** you ask for **MERCY** after what you **DID**!_" Again, like some bird with half a brain, Forest tried to rise. A hefty blow to the side of the head put him in his place. "I tried to warn you, Forest." He growled, flipping him over onto his back, exposing the other's soft underbelly. Instinctively, the Husky tried to resist, lashing out with his hind leg. Kavik seized it in his jaws, snapping the bone like a twig.

"I told you to leave town and take your mates with you when I could've ended all three of your pitiful lives right then and there." He placed planted a paw against his prey's chest, pushing him further into the snow, cutting off what little wind Forest was trying vainly to suck back into his screaming lungs. "You chose to ignore that. What's more, you made the biggest mistake of all and tried to finish what you'd started." Forest's eyes were bulging now, his breathing harsh and ragged. "Then, when I get out here, what do I find? Some sorry excuse for a mutt who won't even stand up for his so-called friends in a fight!"

Forest looked up at him, hatred burning in his green eyes. "…Get…you…" he somehow managed to gasp out. He had quite a set of lungs on him, Kavik had to give him that.

"You won't get squat." Kavik snarled, removing his paw from Forest's chest and giving him another kick to the ribs with his powerful back legs. This time there could be no mistake; there was definitely a break in there somewhere. Kavik bent, grasping the now limp Husky by the scruff of the neck. The were standing on the edge of a slight bowl in the ground, the remnants of some ancient lake, long dry these many years, or Kavik assumed. He spun quickly, using his momentum to propel the bloody dog out into the night, watching as he landed in a heap. He moved soundlessly forward over the snow, watched with a detached expression as Forest struggled to a standing position, his limbs shaking, teeth locked in a snarl of mingled pain and fury. Finally, he was before the shaking Husky.

A dry laugh came from the other's throat. "…Well…come on…" he taunted, green eyes burning. "Finish me off…"

"No." He sounded almost bored with the idea.

A snigger of sick amusement bubbled from the other's throat. "Hah! I get you now…wolf talks big…but when it comes down to the killing…you just can't abide the thought…of getting…your 'widdle paws dirty!"

Kavik's face remained expressionless. "I'm not going to kill you, Forest…they are." He tipped his snout upwards, indicating the high bank looming behind them. With an effort, he turned…and Kavik saw his eyes go wide as he beheld the sight that greeted him.

Wolves, easily numbering over 50 in all, materialized out of the shadows, their eyes glowing witch-like in the darkness. There pelts ranged from dull black to mottled gray to a patchwork of browns and tans…but they all looked at the Husky with a conscious thought pulsing from their collective aroma; hunger. Tongues licked at long ropey strands of saliva that dripped from mouths filled with teeth as long and sharp as Kavik's own. One of them came drifting down in the crater to stand at Kavik's side. She was a large female wolf with a light gray coat and glittering yellow/green eyes. She spared Forest a single unpleasant glance before turning her attention back to Kavik. She smiled.

"Hello Uncle Kavik." She moved forward and nuzzled him affectionately. "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too, Aleau." He replied, smiling in spite of himself. He licked her cheek, and was gratified to see she could still giggle and blush with the best of them. "I wish we could've met again under…more pleasant circumstances."

Her jade eyes hardened and she turned to regard Forest, who wilted under that withering gaze. "…Is this the one you told Jeremiah and the others to watch out for?"

"Yes." Kavik turned, regarding Forest one last time. "Allow me to introduce you to my niece Aleau, Kodi's sister. She's been away for a year or so, but she got a little lonesome, so she decided to swing by and check up on her family, see how things were going." His eyes flashed darkly. "Bad luck for you, my friend."

Jeremiah himself came striding out to meet them, accompanied by Ash, looking concernedly at Kavik's shoulder, then at Forest. "My, my" he said, his tone flat and icy. "So this is the brute who's caused your family so much pain?" He snorted. "I expected something more." He spat on the cowering Forest before turning to the two of them, his mood brightening considerably. "Come now – I dare say your family's anxious to know what's become of you after being gone for so long."

As they turned to go, Ash spoke up. "…What shall we do with this one?" he asked, jerking his head in Forest's direction. Already the wolves had begun to close in, trying hard to restrain themselves, not daring to move until give the order to do so.

"…What you will." Kavik replied. He felt suddenly tired. Bloodshed was a nasty, but sometimes necessary business, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

"Come on, then," Jeremiah called and he began to lead them back through the woods in the direction of Nome.

((()-()))

Author's Note:

And…Oh my dears sweet Lord, it's DONE! throws up arms THANK YA JEEZ-US! Ahem. Anyway, yes, I know these last two chapters took FOREVER to get going…but at least it's finally done. All in all, I'm pretty pleased with the way things turned out. . The bad guys have been vanquished – thanks in part to Aleau's pack and Jeremiah's Ice River Pack (who are property of my good friend and faithful reader Lone Wolffanwriter) – and Kodi and Dusty have been saved. All's well with the world again! Yay!

Like I said, I'm sorry for taking so long with this, but I've just been having a bit of trouble getting into writing lately…and I think I've almost gotten my fix for a while. I'll polish this off soon with a nice little Epilogue with an attached Author's Note thanking everyone and explaining all the secrets that made this fic turn out so well! Unfortunately, you guys will probably be waiting till sometime next week before I post that, as I've been feeling a little under the weather lately (I even had to stay home today, but that turned out to be a blessing in disguise – look how much writing I've gotten done! He works in wonderful and mysterious ways, no?

Anyway, thank you all so much for sticking with me through all that's happened these past few months! God forever bless and keep you all!

BaltoLuver63


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